Private health insurance has two parts - Hospital and Extras cover and has several benefits. It can help you avoid long wait times when seeking medical advice or treatment for a range of services, allow you to choose your own doctor or specialist, and reduce out-of-pocket costs. Additionally, private health insurance also helps cover extras like dental, physiotherapy, and chiropractic services that are not covered by Medicare.
How does private health insurance work?
Private health insurance works by paying a regular premium to a health insurance provider. In return, the health insurance provider helps cover all or part of the cost of your medical treatments. The extent of coverage depends on the level of cover you have chosen and the specifics of your policy.
What are the different types of private health insurance cover options?
There are two types of health insurance cover options – Hospital and Extras cover. You can choose to hold these separately or together (this is known as combined cover).
Hospital cover
Hospital cover helps pay for the costs associated with in-hospital services. Depending on your level of cover, this can include:
Accommodation in a private or shared room
Theatre fees
Doctor's fees (e.g. surgeon, anaesthetist, etc.)
Medical tests (e.g. X-rays, scans, pathology)
Prostheses
Rehabilitation (e.g. physiotherapy)
Extras cover
Extras cover, also known as general treatment or ancillary cover, helps pay for services that are 'extra' to in-hospital services and not typically covered by Medicare. This can include:
Dental (e.g. check-ups, fillings, root canal)
Optical (e.g. prescription glasses or contact lenses)
Physiotherapy
Chiropractic
Podiatry
Psychology
There are various types of private health insurance options available to cover yourself or your family:
Singles health insurance: Covers one individual
Couples health insurance: Covers two adults in a relationship
Family health insurance: Covers two adults and any dependent children
Single parent health insurance: Covers one adult and any dependent children
There are also various levels of cover you can choose from depending on your personal needs, budget, and life stage. These are usually categorised as either Basic, Bronze, Silver, and Gold cover. Qantas Health Insurance offers the following products:
Hospital cover – Basic, Bronze, Silver, Silver Plus, Gold
Extras cover – Basic, Family, Lifestyle, Active, Top
To find out more information about the different levels of cover that Qantas Health Insurance offers, click here.
Choosing the right policy
If you decide to get private health insurance, choosing the right policy for your needs is important. Need any help deciding which is the right cover for you? Call our Qantas Health Insurance experts on 13 49 30 Monday to Friday 9am - 7pm (AET). They’ll chat through your options and help you decide which is the right cover to suit your needs. Alternatively, click here to get a quick Qantas Health Insurance quote today.
Disclaimers
Qantas Health Insurance is issued by nib health funds limited ABN 83 000 124 381 (nib) a registered private health insurer, and is arranged by Qantas Airways Limited ABN 16 009 661 901 (Qantas), for which Qantas receives commission. The above general information is not personal advice and individuals should consider their personal circumstances and consult an expert before making any decisions.
