Do I really need Extras health insurance? 

When you compare Extras Cover with Hospital Cover, you might ask yourself whether you need both. After all, Hospital Cover is there for health events that might involve hospital treatment, while Extras Cover (also known as general or ancillary cover) is often considered more for ‘health maintenance’. So if you want to save money on health insurance, you might be wondering whether you need Extras Cover. Let’s look at what an Extras policy covers you for, how much it costs and how to decide whether it’s right for you.  

What does Extras Cover do? 

The purpose of Extras Cover is to support healthcare costs for services outside of a hospital that aren’t covered by Medicare. That means things like dental, physiotherapy, hearing aids, glasses and certain medicines are all covered by Extras Cover.  

Find out more about what’s covered by Extras policies.

Extras Cover doesn’t include hospital services, and it doesn’t exclude you from the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) either. So if you earn more than $105,000 as a single person or more than $210,000 combined as a couple, single parent or family, you’ll need Hospital Cover to avoid paying the MLS at tax time.  

What’s the difference between Hospital and Extras Cover? Do I need both?

How much does Extras Cover cost? 

The cost of Extras Cover depends on the insurer and number of treatments your policy covers. As a rough guide, for one adult with no children in NSW, we found the cheapest Extras health insurance policy that included General Dental, Optical and Physiotherapy cost $22.16 a month, compared to $217.10 a month for a policy covering 25 of 27 Extras treatments, as of July 2026.

What’s the best Extras health insurance? 

The easiest way to choose Extras health insurance is using the healthslips.com.au calculator to compare every policy from every insurer that meets your needs. We’re one of the only health insurance comparison sites that compares all policies available on the market, and gives you unbiased results. You don’t need to enter your contact details, and we guarantee the cheapest policy. You can also run an Extras health insurance comparison of your existing policy, to make sure you’re paying the best price. 

Find an Extras health insurance policy or compare your existing Extras policy. 

Do I need Extras health insurance? 

Deciding whether or not to get Extras health insurance comes down to your income, budget and the health needs of yourself and your family. Remember that your health needs can change in the future, so think about what services and treatments you need now as well as what you’re likely to need going forward.  

Remember: it’s important to check the policy limits, excess, out-of-pocket costs, waiting periods and conditions of any Extras policy before you sign up.  

healthslips.com.au does not provide general or personalised advice. Your particular circumstances are likely to impact the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information or results. Take this into account before making a decision and talk to an expert for financial advice.    

Trudie McConnochie

Writer and Researcher

Knowledge is power – that’s the guiding principle behind everything Trudie writes, and it’s a philosophy she brings to her work at healthslips.com.au. By breaking down complex information into easy-to-understand blogs and stories, she aims to empower Australians to make the best choices and an informed decision around private health insurance.

Trudie understands firsthand some of the complexity of private health insurance having moved to Australia from New Zealand and having to navigate a vastly different public healthcare system and health insurance structure.

Trudie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from the Auckland University of Technology.

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