Time to read : 3 Minutes
Have You Used All Of Your Health Insurance Extras?
We're only a few days into the new year. Are are you one of the Aussies who ended 2025 with unused extras?
🫰 Compare Club data shows that Australians leave $1.3K of their extras to go to waste each year.
😐 That's a lot of money to leave unspent – so let’s discuss how you can maximise your health insurance extras in 2026 without spending a fortune.
Nine things you need to know
Every December I have the same conversation with people who’ve left it to the end of the year to use up their extras or have suddenly realised they’re paying top dollar for a policy with generous annual limits on dental, physio, chiro, and more that they’ll never come close to using.
Health funds love these people - they’re like gym members who join but stop going after a month.
So how do you get maximum value from your policy this year? Extras can give people amazing value, but only if you know how to play the system.
If you don't use up your extras, you usually lose them – as most insurers reset on their annual limits on January 1.
A classic example of this is that most Aussie health insurance holders have access to around $1,050 of dental rebates but on average only claim $238, meaning they’ve missed out on $812 worth of treatments or check-ups over the year.
This lost value grows the more people you have on your policy. My colleagues think that some families could be missing out on up to $14,812 worth of medical services each year on one particular policy from a major health fund.
Keep your receipts – as most health insurers allow you to claim in the following year for treatments that you had and paid for in this year.
Check what you’ve got included in your cover and book it in now, for later in the year. Ask your provdier to send you all the reminders. This year, you're making your extras count!
If you haven't used your extras much in 2025, shop around now and look at switching to a policy that’s a lot closer to what you’ll actually use. There’s no point in paying hundreds of dollars for big annual extras limits if you never really use them up.
There are some seriously good value policies right now, including ones that will give you 100% back for a check-up, scale and clean at the dentist. In some cases, that could almost pay for the cost of your policy in the first place.
With another health fund price hike looming in April 2026, it’s never been more important to wring every last cent of value out of your policy.
Last but not least, talk to one of our health cover experts – we're lovely (it's true!) – who will do an audit to make sure that your current extras insurance actually covers you for what you need. There’s nothing worse than paying for something that you aren’t using, or not getting the best value on the services you want to use!
In good news: There are a group of extras which don't tend to reset – hearing aids and braces for example.
The bottom line
Savvy shoppers can get a lot of value back from their health insurance if they use their extras smartly.
Make sure everyone in your family has their dental check-ups booked in, along with some physio and replacement glasses. Get those appointments in place now, before the year gets fully underway - keeping both your healthm and your budget, on track for 2026.
🤓 I'll be doing that myself next week.
☎️ And, if you do find that you have extras that you don't need, now is the time to talk to your broker to get a better extras package today.
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Disclaimer:
The information contained on this web page is of general nature only and has been prepared without taking into consideration your objectives, needs and financial situation. You should check with a financial professional before making any decisions.
