Four benefits of extras cover that might surprise you

You probably know about extras rebates for things like dental, optical and physio, but there are plenty of other ways these covers can boost your health and contribute to your Real Wellbeing.

From personalised dietary advice to mental health support services, your extras cover can help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses on a broad range of services that fall outside of Medicare’s scope.

Debbie Stewart, Senior Manager of Product at Australian Unity, reveals some of the less obvious benefits of Australian Unity’s extras cover.

1. Travel vaccinations

With international travel well and truly back on the agenda, Debbie highlights the importance of getting vaccinated before you head overseas. And did you know that extras cover can help out in this area?

“Now that lots of us are starting to travel overseas again, it’s really important that people get their vaccinations, because you can get really sick, and sometimes you can even bring diseases back,” says Debbie. “Extras cover can help with the cost of those vaccinations, so you don’t have to put as much money towards them—and you can keep more for your holiday.”

2. Dietary advice

While you might think you have a good grasp of healthy eating already, Debbie points out that dietitians can provide tailored advice to suit your individual needs, such as managing any allergies, intolerances, or dietary choices like vegetarianism.

“Dietitians can help you deal with any specific concerns you might have about your health, helping you set up meal plans and understand nutrients better, and making sure you’re getting a balanced diet without spikes in energy and all those sorts of things,” says Debbie.

This personalised approach can help you achieve your health goals in ways that generic advice from things like articles, social media and podcasts can’t, she adds.

“It really can be a case of sheer information overload with what’s out there,” she says. “And if you try to navigate these ideas without somebody who’s trained as a professional, you can end up going down all sorts of rabbit holes and spending money on things that might actually be of limited value in your case.”

3. Hearing checks and audiology

Hearing loss is associated with accelerated cognitive decline, and can impact on our ability to engage with our friends, family and acquaintances.

Getting your ears checked regularly can catch issues early and help mitigate any hearing loss you might be experiencing with medical interventions or devices such as hearing aids.

“Even as a younger person, one thing I think about is that we’re all wandering around wearing these headsets in our ears and thinking that’s probably fine,” says Debbie. “But getting routine hearing tests, getting regular screenings, and—especially if you are having any hearing challenges—going and engaging with an audiologist is definitely something worth doing for your long-term wellbeing.”

As with any sort of preventative health check, getting regular hearing tests, can prevent minor issues from becoming major health concerns down the line. Consultations with an audiologist can help with hearing issues, tests and diagnosis and some extras covers can help with the cost of these where they are not covered by Medicare.

4. Support for quitting smoking, weight loss and mental health

Depending on the level of cover you have, you may be able to access a whole range of health support and coaching programs.

By using evidence-based guidelines to tailor a plan specific to your needs, these expert-led programs can give you the skills, motivation and confidence to really take charge of your wellbeing.

“These programs are a less obvious benefit of extras cover, but can be really helpful for things like quitting smoking, weight management which might not be covered by Medicare and for those who hold a hospital or combination product, there are programs like mental health support,” says Debbie.

How to find the extras cover that’s right for you

When comparing extras cover, Debbie’s advice is to keep your individual needs, lifestyle and budget front of mind.

“Think really hard about what you already know you’ll probably want to use, like dental check-ups or optical if you wear glasses, and balance it against your budget,” she suggests.

“For people with specific health needs, it’s probably a good idea to get advice from your doctor or relevant health providers about whether there are more services that you could be using within your extras” she adds. “So an example of that might be somebody with diabetes getting extra dietary advice, or podiatry to check on their foot health.”

It’s always worth reviewing your policy to see what’s included and looking up any terms you don’t understand to make sure you’re maximising your benefits.

“A friend of mine recently got diagnosed with sleep apnoea and found out that they could claim money back on a CPAP device through their extras cover, making what can be a fairly expensive machine much more affordable,” says Debbie. “This was something they hadn't ever imagined that they would need, but then it turned out: ‘Oh yeah, I’m covered for that.’”