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No-gap optical

No-gap optical means you don’t pay a cent towards your new glasses. Here’s how to get it.

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Richard Laycock
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No-gap optical is an attractive benefit offered by some extras health insurance policies. It means you don't have to pay anything towards your new glasses, as long as they don't cost more than your annual limit.

If you have a $200 annual limit, and your new specs also happen to cost $200, you can walk away with a fresh prescription - for free!

Not all health insurers offer no-gap optical, but we've rounded up a few with limits ranging from $100-$250 so that you can compare policies at a glance.

Compare extras only policies that cover optical

Below are a few Finder partners that cover Optical in their extras policies. We've displayed the yearly limit, and they will have either a 2 or 6 month waiting period. They also include other benefits such as dental or physiotherapy.

Data updated regularly
Name Product Prescription glasses Contact lenses Optical Limit Price Per Month Hide CompareBox Apply
HCF Starter Extras with Optical
HCF Starter Extras with Optical
$100
$16.85
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Peoplecare Simple Extras
Peoplecare Simple Extras
$150
$26.10
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Qantas Basic Extras
Qantas Basic Extras
$250
$33.05
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ahm black 60
ahm black 60
$200
$38.60
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Medibank Essential Extras
Medibank Essential Extras
$200
$40.10
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Compare up to 4 providers

*Quotes are based on single individual with less than $90,000 income and living in Sydney.

Optical services and health insurance

Extras cover is available in several levels (basic, medium and comprehensive) and generally covers ancillary services such as optical, dental and physio up to set annual benefit limits.

What is the medical gap and how do I avoid it?

If a doctor charges a higher fee than the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) fee for a service, the medical gap is the difference between the MBS fee and the doctor’s fee. This amount will have to be paid either by your health fund or by you.

In the case of optical services that are not listed on the MBS, the medical gap is the gap between what an optometrist charges for lenses and frames and what your private health extras cover will pay towards them.

To avoid having to pay any medical gap, you need to be with a health fund that has a no-gap scheme. A no-gap optical scheme is one where a health fund agrees to cover the medical gap if members go to a preferred optometrist or an optical dispenser with which the health fund has an arrangement. These practices charge capped prices that have been agreed upon with the health fund for a select range of lenses and frames.

Which health funds have a no-gap optical scheme?

Here are Finder's partner health funds that offer a no-gap optical option:

FundWhat’s covered?More info
AHM health insuranceahm offers 100% back up to your annual limit on the cost of prescription glasses, frames, lenses, repairs, and contact lenses.More info
HCF health insuranceHCF offers a range of fully covered services through HCF Eyecare Centres, Dresden, or Specsavers on a range of standardd prescription glasses and one free digital retinal imaging with your eye test per calendar year.More info
HIF health insuranceYou can claim 100% of your annual limit on prescription glasses, contact lenses or sunglasses from any optical provider in Australia with HIF.More info
nib health insuranceThrough its nib Eye Care Centres, nib offers members 100% back on three ranges of complete single vision prescription glasses and selected contact lenses (depending on your level of cover) with free delivery anywhere in Australia.More info
Transport Health insuranceTransport Health offers members 100% back on a selection of single vision, bifocal and multifocal glasses from several ranges at Specsavers (depending on your level of cover).More info

Compare more health insurance options

If you're only looking for optical cover, search for extras then on your results page select 'refine search' and tick optical.

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