Suncorp Health Insurance Review

Our Verdict:

• A solid option if you're thinking about orthodontic treatments – orthodontics cover increases by $100 per calendar year up until the $1,700 annual cap on its Mid Extras plan.
• This is also a good policy if you're looking for Basic-tier hospital plans that cover more than the bare minimum of accidents. Suncorp's plan actually includes a few hospital treatments on their lowest level of cover.

• Suncorp regularly offers chances to save on your premium, such as the chance for a 4% discount when you commit to paying by direct debit. But at the time of writing, Medibank and CUA had more attractive sign-up deals (for us). Compare the latest health deals now.

_{Review by our life insurance senior writer James Martin}

Suncorp offers five different hospital plans, ranging from a better-than-average Basic plan up to a comprehensive, no-exclusion Gold policy. Mix and match depending on your needs.

Who is Suncorp?

Suncorp has been providing health insurance since 1902. They serve approximately nine million people across Australia and New Zealand, and are part of the Suncorp Group of insurers, which includes AAMI, GIO, Apia and Shannons.

What health insurance options are available?

Hospital cover

• Basic hospital plus. Designed for young, healthy people. This provides cover for accidents, emergency ambulance transport and a select few treatments like dental surgery, gynaecology, hernia and appendix, tonsils and a couple more. You can choose between a $500 or $750 excess.
• Bronze hospital plus. Bronze is a step up from Basic, providing cover for many common treatments while excluding higher-priced things like the back, neck and spine and the heart and vascular system. Choice of $500 or $750 excess.
• Silver Everyday and Silver Advantage hospital plus. Mid-level hospital cover for most common treatments, excluding only the most expensive. Silver Advantage adds on cataract treatment, joint replacements and kidney dialysis.
• Gold hospital. This is the highest level of hospital cover, with no exclusions or limitations to Medicare-recognised treatments. Adds on pregnancy and birth, weight loss surgery and assisted reproductive services onto the Silver plans.

Extras cover

• Starter extras. Provides 60% back on common extras, including chiropractic, physiotherapy, general dental, optical, pharmaceutical prescriptions and emergency ambulance.
• Everyday extras. Provides 60% back on the same services as Starter extras with higher annual limits, as well as benefits for major dental work, natural therapies and remedial massage.
• Mid extras. Provides 60% back on the same services as Everyday extras with higher annual limits, as well as benefits for orthodontics, podiatry/orthotics, dietary advice, health aids, psychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and preventative tests.
• Top extras. Suncorp's highest level of cover, providing 75% back on everything in Mid extras with higher annual limits, but also giving benefits for exercise physiology, antenatal and postnatal, home nursing, eye therapy, and hearing aids.

Young people discount

As part of a government incentive to encourage young people to take out health insurance, Suncorp is offering age-based discounts for people aged 18-29 purchasing Suncorp Hospital cover. For each year you are underneath 30, you receive a 2% discount on your premiums up to a maximum of 10%. This discount persists until you reach the age of 41, at which point it decreases by 2% per year back down to zero.

Member offers

In addition to the benefits you receive from your hospital and/or extras policy, Suncorp members get the following:

• Reduced premiums. Pay with direct debit and save 4% on your monthly premiums.

How to make a claim

To make a claim on your Suncorp Health Insurance, you will need your Suncorp Health Insurance customer number and supporting documentation such as a provider's receipt.

You can claim online anytime and in the case of extras cover, when visiting any service provider who offers on-the-spot claims by swiping your Suncorp Health Insurance card.

Written by

Alex Holderness

Head of publishing

As Finder's insurance group publisher, Alex Holderness aims to make confusing topics easy to understand. She's been published in Money Mag, Yahoo Finance, Hospital Health, and is a contributing author for Google's Startup Grind. She has a keen passion for running and is currently studying for her General Insurance certification. See full bio