*Price based on an Extras policy for a single person living in Sydney, earning less than $97,000.
Extras cover helps pay for medical care that's not covered by Medicare. These treatments are usually done out-of-hospital and include dental, physio, psychology, optical and chiropractic services. You must serve a waiting period before you can claim money back and there are annual cover limits (a cap on how much you can claim per year).
The extras policies below won 2024 Finder Awards. They came out on top for value for money – meaning they give you more bang for your buck than the other 400+ policies we analysed from 46 health funds.
This won Finder's Medium Extras cover award in 2023 and 2024. Flex 50 gives you $800 to split how you like across 12 popular services, including dental. You could use all of that $800 combined annual limit on dental if you like, or you could split it up – it's totally up to you.
Starter Extras
From
$5.92/week
From
$5.92/week
Consistently one of the cheapest dental insurance policies available. Westfund's Starter Extras option includes general dental cover and an optical benefit up to $180 per person. You can also choose how to spend $400 across a bunch of services including dental, optical, physio, chiro and more.
Extras cover generally includes non-hospital services that aren't covered by Medicare, like dental and optical. The table below outlines some of the most common treatment categories.
| Service covered | Description |
|---|---|
| General dental | Also called routine dental, this includes general examinations, clean and polishes, extractions, fillings and more. |
| Major dental | Major dental includes work like crowns, veneers, dentures, periodontics and more. |
| Orthodontics | Orthodontic treatments include braces, aligners and retainers. This benefit is normally subject to a lifetime benefit limit. |
| Endodontics | Endodontics deals with issues inside the tooth, including root canals. |
| Optical | Optical cover typically includes the cost of prescription glasses and sunglasses, as well as contact lenses. |
| Osteopathy | Osteopathy is an alternative medicine focused on muscle and bones, and is partly covered by many extras policies. |
| Healthy lifestyle | This benefit can help with things like quite smoking programs and gym memberships, if recommended by a GP. |
| Travel vaccinations | Vaccinations needed for travel |
| Ambulance services | Ambulance isn't covered by the government in most states, so many extras policies includes private cover for it. |
| Physiotherapy | Physical therapy can be partially covered by many extras plans, including exams, diagnosis and rehabilitation. |
| Chiropractic | Some select alternative therapies, including chriro, can be covered by some extras policies. |
| Non-PBS medication | This benefit can cover some of the costs of medications not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. |
| Health aids | Health aids is a wide category that can cover appliances like artificial limbs, testing kits and health monitors. |
| Podiatry | Podiatry covers issues with your feet, including orthotics and some surgery. |
| Psychology | Mental health checks and therapy sessions can be partially covered by some extras policies. |
| Dietetics | Support and consultations for food and nutrition services. |
| Hearing Aids | Coverage for hearing aid devices and audiology services can be covered. You'll generally only be able to claim for hearing aids every few years (3 to 5 years is common). |
Everyone will pay a different amount for extras cover, because everyone's needs are different. Prices currently start from about $3 a week, but go up to well over $100 a week for the most comprehensive offerings.
We ask Australians how much they pay for extras cover every month, through Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker. In January 2025 the average price Australians paid for extras was $54 per month (about $14 a week).
Waiting periods for health insurance apply to both extras and hospital policies. You'll generally need to wait for a period of between 2 and 12 months before claiming a particular benefit. Some major treatments require waiting periods of up to 2 or more years but this is less common. A very small handful of insurers let you skip waiting periods.
"I've always taken out a policy that comes with no waiting periods. It means I can start claiming straight away. I once took out extras cover and was able toclaim $600 worth of benefits in a week."
Benefit limits for extras only health insurance are the maximum amounts you can claim for specific treatments each calendar year. Many funds also break these down into the following types:
Health funds use two methods to cover extras services. Set benefits apply a fixed amount to each service, such as $500 for general dental, while percentage benefits do what the name suggests and calculates the benefit as a percentage that covers all services, such as 50% back. Some pros and cons of each method are outlined below:
| Cover method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Set benefits |
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| Percentage benefits |
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Filter by price to find the cheapest extras policies available on Finder.
Each month we analyse over 10,000 extras insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we end up with is a nice round number that helps you compare extras cover a bit faster.
Remember that Finder Score is just one factor to consider. Look at other aspects like fees, features, benefits and risks to make sure a product is suitable for you. Double-check details that matter to you before applying or buying.
Addicted to details. We reviewed literally thousands of extra policies – when we say some are better value than others, it's because we've gone deep into the ts & cs.
No extra cost. Pay the same amount with us as going direct. Features like dental, and your new specs get verified from 400+ policies, so you can make a decision without having to check hundreds of extras limits yourself.
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While COVID-19 vaccinations are free in Australia, other vaccines with out-of-pocket costs can be covered by private health insurance with some extras policies.
Ensure your health insurance includes psychological wellbeing services when comparing cover.
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What do the annual benefit limits on your health insurance extras cover actually mean? Find out here.
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