Combined hospital and extras cover
Why take out combined cover?
Combining hospital insurance with extras cover is one way to get more value from your health insurance policy. This type of cover also allows you to:
- Find a policy that meets your health needs both in and out of hospital
- Claim on out-of-hospital services you’ll actually use (e.g. physio, remedial massage, dental)
- Enjoy the convenience of only paying a single premium and having one contact point for all your health insurance needs
- The hospital insurance component of your cover can help you avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) if you’re a higher-income earner and maintain an active policy throughout the entire financial year.
Choosing a combined cover policy
If you think a combined cover policy is the right choice for you, the next step is to compare hospital and extras cover to find one that meets your needs. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you compare:
- Level of cover. When it comes to taking out a combined cover policy, the levels of cover available to you will depend on your health fund. Some funds will let you mix and match levels of hospital and extras cover, while others will have a few fixed options.
- Excess. As with standard hospital cover, you’ll likely need to choose an excess amount when taking out a policy. The excess is an out-of-pocket cost you pay on admission to hospital. A higher excess will usually come with a lower premium and vice versa.
- Co-payment. Like an excess, a co-payment is an out-of-pocket expense paid by the patient as a contribution towards the cost of their hospital admission. This is a fixed daily payment for each day spent in hospital and is usually capped at a maximum amount per admission.
- Life stage. As you age, your healthcare needs will change. Keep this in mind while you look for a policy. You should also consider factors like your family medical history and any pre-existing conditions.
Expert tips on choosing the right combined cover policy for you
Our health insurance expert, Steven Spicer, has some tips on how to find a combined cover policy that meets your needs without breaking the bank.
Steven Spicer
Executive General Manager – Health, Life & Energy
Consider all taxes and loadings that may apply
When deciding whether to take out combined cover, it’s important to consider any additional taxes and loadings that may apply to you if you delay taking out eligible hospital coverage. This might be the case if you’re a high-income earner or over the age of 31.
Standalone cover may suit you better
If you want both hospital and extras cover, you’re not limited to a combined cover policy. You can also take out hospital and extras separately, with two separate health funds.
Get the right level of cover for you
Combined cover is an excellent way to save money on any healthcare expenses you may incur. With so many different options and combinations available, it’s essential that you take the time to ensure you select a suitable level of cover that meets your needs.
How does combined hospital and extras cover work?
With combined hospital and extras cover, you can benefit from both types of insurance under one policy and have peace of mind, knowing your policy includes a range of medical treatments both in and out of hospital (up to your policy limits). These policies are typically pre-packaged by health funds to suit different lifestyles and budgets.
If a health fund doesn’t offer a combined package to meet your needs, you can choose separate standalone hospital cover and extras cover and combine them yourself to create something that suits you better.
The differences between hospital and extras cover
To get the best combined insurance policy for your needs, you’ll first want to understand what the two types of health insurance offer and the differences between them. We’ve outlined some of the key differences between these types of cover below.
Hospital cover
Hospital cover pays towards medical conditions that require inpatient hospital treatment. This can include treatments like joint reconstructions and cataracts surgery, depending on the level of cover you choose. To claim a benefit from your health fund, the treatment must be medically necessary, listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), included on your policy and all relevant waiting periods completed.
Hospital insurance will pay a benefit towards your treatment as a private patient admitted to a private or public hospital. If you’re treated in a private hospital, you’ll be able to avoid public waiting lists, choose your available doctor and have a private room (depending on availability).
Hospital cover is divided into four tiers depending on the clinical categories included; these categories are Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Some polices may have a ‘Plus’ or ‘+’ in the name (e.g. Basic Plus), meaning they cover more than the minimum required clinical categories without meeting the requirements for the next tier up. For example, a Silver Plus policy may provide cover for joint replacements which is ordinarily only required to be included by Gold tier policies.
Extras cover
Extras cover provides benefits for out-of-hospital extras services like dental check-ups, chiropractic, physiotherapy, remedial massage and podiatry, among others. It can also pay towards products like hearing aids and orthotics.
The amount you can claim will be either a percentage or a dollar amount. These benefits are typically capped to an annual limit and can include sub limits, group limits and lifetime limits, as well as per person limits and policy limits.
Waiting periods are decided by the health fund and aren’t regulated by the government. Unlike hospital cover, pre-existing conditions won’t affect your waiting periods.
Standalone extras cover won’t help you avoid the LHC loading, MLS or benefit from an aged-based discount. However, choosing to go without hospital cover and only having extras won’t affect your eligibility for the Australian Government rebate.
Policies may vary between health funds, so make sure you check the relevant policy brochure for a full list of inclusions, exclusions, limits, benefits and restrictions.
Can I take out separate hospital and extras cover from different funds?
Yes, you can take out a hospital insurance policy with one health fund, and extras cover with another. This can be handy as some funds might have a hospital policy you like, but not offer a suitable cover option for the specific out-of-hospital treatments you’re looking for under an extras policy.
However, having one policy means you only need to worry about one premium payment, so it might be easier than having hospital and extras cover with different funds.
Does extras cover have tiers or levels too?
When it comes to extras cover, things work a bit differently. For instance, the services you can claim on and the amount of money you can claim are decided by the health fund, not the government. There are also no set categories like there are for hospital policies. As such, it becomes much more important to shop around to ensure your healthcare needs are met.
The level of extras cover will be specified under the policy, with the specific treatments listed on your policy brochure.
More information
Do waiting periods apply to combined health insurance policies?
Combined hospital and extras do have waiting periods, just as standalone policies do. Once you take out cover, you’ll need to serve these waiting periods before you can claim on a specific service or treatment. When switching or upgrading to a higher level of cover you’ll only need to serve a waiting period for the new services offered.
You won’t be required to re-serve any waiting periods that you’ve already completed when switching or upgrading from an active policy. If you’re yet to complete any waiting periods, you’ll be required to serve the remaining time before claiming.
Hospital cover
The Australian Government sets the waiting periods for hospital insurance, which differ depending on the treatment. For pregnancy and birth-related services and treatment for pre-existing conditions, your waiting period will be 12 months. For all other services (e.g. mental health services, palliative care and rehabilitation), you can make a claim after just two months.
Extras cover
Waiting periods for extras are set by the health fund and can range from several months to several years, depending on the procedure or treatment. For example, orthodontics may have a waiting period of 12 months or longer.
Some health funds will waive waiting periods for certain services if you’re a new customer taking out an eligible policy, so keep an eye out for these deals.
Do I pay LHC on the full premium of a combined health insurance policy?
No, Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading applies to the base premium of your hospital cover, if you take out health insurance after 1 July following your 31st birthday. You don’t have to pay LHC on your extras premiums.
When you take out a combined health insurance policy before July 1 following your 31st birthday, maintaining the hospital insurance component will help you avoid the LHC loading.
Which kind of health insurance covers ambulance services?
Emergency ambulance cover is often included in hospital cover and some extras policies, depending on the insurer and policy. Other insurers may also offer ambulance cover as a standalone policy. Even if your hospital or extras policy includes ambulance cover, it’s important to understand what’s included, as a standalone policy may be more comprehensive.
However, some Australians will have ambulance trips covered by their state or federal government. This includes:
- Queenslanders anywhere in Australia
- Tasmanians while they’re in Tasmania
- Some pensioners, veterans and concession cardholders.
If health insurance includes emergency transportation, limits may apply to the number of trips that can be claimed within a 12-month period. You can learn more about the rules for each state and territory in our guide to ambulance cover.
Meet our health insurance expert, Steven Spicer
As the Executive General Manager of Health, Life and Energy, Steven Spicer is a strong believer in the benefits of private cover and knows just how valuable the peace of mind that comes with cover can be. He is passionate about demystifying the health insurance industry and advocates for the benefits of comparison when it comes to saving money on your premiums.