Health Conditions

Around 43% of Australians will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, and some may need to be hospitalised for treatment. While treatment in public hospitals is free under Medicare, our mental health services are under enormous strain, so you might consider using your health insurance for psychiatric care in a private hospital or psychiatric facility for faster treatment. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2023-24 around 21% of overnight...

If you find wearing glasses or contact lenses annoying or impractical, laser eye surgery might seem like the right decision for you. According to Optometry Australia, around two-thirds of Australians wear prescription glasses and 13% wear contact lenses. If you’re among that number and your optometrist has suggested laser surgery, there’s lots to weigh up before you go ahead – including costs. While laser eye surgery isn’t covered by Medicare,...

If you’ve been told you’ll need surgery in the near future and you have private health insurance, you might be wondering whether it’s better to go to a public or private hospital. In 2023-24, around 67% of elective surgeries in Australia were done in private hospitals. While being treated in a public hospital is free under Medicare, there may be long waits to be seen by a specialist and then to have your surgery – and you can’t choose...

Waiting for hernia surgery can be a long, and potentially painful, process. The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that the median wait time for hernia surgery was 77 days (around 2.5 months). But that’s only an average – around 6% of people waited more than a year for their surgery. With waits like these in the public system, you might be wondering whether it’s worth...

If you’re likely to need surgery this year, you could be in for a long wait. Although your surgery will be free under Medicare in the public health system, there may be a lengthy wait for non-urgent procedures. Of course, if you have health insurance, you can be seen quicker as a private patient, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your surgery will be free. Depending on your policy, and the doctors...

If you wear glasses or use contact lenses, you’ll know Extras Cover can be a handy way to bring down those costs. And even if you don’t need glasses right now, having optical cover can be useful as you age. Optometry Australia says our eyes lose the ability to focus on near objects from around...

If you’re confused about which natural therapies are covered by health insurance and which aren’t, you’re not alone. The government has changed the rules about health insurance cover for natural therapies twice in the past decade, which means there’s a lot of confusion around what can be claimed on Extras Cover. That can make it...

If you hear the word ‘grommets’ you might think of surf lifesaving, but for many Australian families, the word means surgery. Around one in 15 kids in Australia need surgery for grommets, where a tiny tube is inserted into the eardrum to help reduce middle ear infections and glue ear. Although this procedure (known clinically...