As the end of the year nears, now is a great time to make sure you use your health cover.
There is yearly reset – which means that if you don’t use it – you will lose it.
Already reached your annual limit?
Get in early for January as it tends to be a busy time during school holidays, and especially this year when people are not travelling as much.
What can I claim now before the end of the year?
- Teeth cleaning – especially if you haven’t seen us this year. General dental limits are usually very good, teeth cleaning is important.
- Children’s teeth – we are able to get kids in during school holidays, so get your mouthguards ready for next year. Most limits allow you to get a rebate on mouthguards, so get a new one to ensure they fit the growing mouths properly.
- Whitening – did you know that whitening treatments are covered by some health insurers. Now is a good time to get an estimate and discuss whitening.
How much can I claim?
Annual claim limits vary. At Dental at Joondalup, we get great rebates for people with HBF, BUPA, HCF, HIF, Grand United, AHM, and many more. In some cases, you won’t have to pay anything for your hygiene appointment. In most cases you will be $20-100 out of pocket.
Who benefits most from extras cover?
Extras health cover is designed to help with ongoing costs going to dentist and other ancillary providers. There are two groups of consumers that get amazing value from extras insurance in our experience:
Families: Families will find that their children are covered for free, and they end up paying the roughly the same as a couple.
Those aged 45–70: For those people requiring the most dental cover, it makes sense to have extras cover.
To work out if your extras health insurance is offering you value for money:
- Request an annual claims statement from your fund, which shows the total benefits you received in the last financial year, and then compare it to your premiums.
- Shop around – health insurance is a massive business. Everyone wants a slice of the profitable pie that is health insurance. Sometimes being with someone for many years may be like a mortgage repayment. Your policy may be out of date, may be too expensive, and there may be better policies around.
- Don’t be afraid to lose your extras cover if you haven’t made many claims – discuss it with your dentist and see if it is right for you, but you may be much better off without health insurance in the long term.Â
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