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Compare Super Extras Cover
Compare Super Extras Cover
Written by
Madeline Pettet
Edited by
Andrew Kemp
Reviewed by
Andres GutierrezCheck out our range of private health funds
iSelect does not compare all providers in the market or all policies offered by our partners in your area. Not all policies or special offers are available to all customers and some may only be available over the phone or on the website. Learn more.
What are super extras?
Super extras are a type of extras or general treatment health insurance. This kind of extras policy tends to include cover for lots of different services, like physiotherapy, chiropractic, general and major dental, and optical.
If a health insurer has super extras cover available, chances are it’s one of their top-tier extras policies. However, it might not offer the most coverage. Similarly, some private health insurers might use the term ‘super extras,’ while others might use something else, like ‘top extras’ or ‘comprehensive extras.’ It’s a bit like the ‘parma’ vs ‘parmie’ debate.
How do super extras fit into Australia’s health care system?
Private health insurance includes hospital cover and extras cover. Extras cover is for out-of-hospital appointments and treatments you need but Medicare doesn’t necessarily cover, like dental check-ups and getting glasses. So, extras cover can help to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
Super extras are like a supercharged extras option, since they cover more than a handful of out-of-hospital treatments.
What services could a super extras policy cover?
Private hospital cover comes with rules about what different tiered policies must cover. There isn’t quite the same attention to detail for extras cover, though. But health insurance is a competitive market, so health funds often end up with similar sorts of policies.
A super extras health insurance policy is likely to include most, if not all, of the following services.
General dental, like cleans, tooth extractions, and fillings
Major dental and endodontic, like veneers and dentures
Podiatry
Psychology
Pharmaceuticals not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
Hearing aids
It’s not uncommon for super extras health cover to go above and beyond offering just those services. For instance, even if it isn’t bundled with hospital cover, your super extras cover might include emergency ambulance services. Depending on your super extras policy, you might also have cover for some or all of the below.
Osteopathy
Orthotics
Dietetics and nutrition
Speech therapy
Audiology
Pre- and post-natal services
Health aids and appliances, like blood glucose monitors and non-surgical prostheses
Home nursing
Who is super extras suitable for?
Families with people at different life stages
Growing up comes with lots of aches and pains, but super extras could help keep your family healthy. Younger kids might need occupational therapy to help them nail certain developmental stages. Meanwhile, older kids starting high school could need braces and glasses or contact lenses. And what about the parents? Well, psychology could help them handle everyday worries, and physiotherapy could make it easier to keep up with their kids!
Older people with growing health needs
If you’re starting to feel your age, getting on top of health concerns before they get too serious could help you avoid a trip to hospital. Using super extras could also make a difference to your day-to-day life, from helping keep you mobile and independent to keeping your natural smile.
People with more complex health concerns
Some health issues aren’t straightforward and you might need help from a few different professionals. For instance, after a knee replacement, you could need to see a physiotherapist and podiatrist regularly to help you get moving again. Similarly, if you’re having chemotherapy, a psychologist could support your mental health, while an occupational therapist could help you adapt to treatment-related symptoms.
Helpful tip
While the versatility and range of super extras coverage is attractive, there’s more to consider than just the services included. If you’re hoping to make a claim, double-check whether the medical practitioner is a recognised or preferred provider for your health insurer.
Depending on your health fund, you could look for recognised providers near you using your health fund’s website or app.
Andres Gutierrez
General Manager – Health
How much does super extras cost?
Like other kinds of private health cover, extras premiums tend to go up when a policy covers more. Given super extras policies are usually packed with services, they’ll likely be the more expensive extras health insurance options. For iSelect customers in 2024–25, the average annual premium for a high-level extras policy, like super extras cover, was $2,068.43.1Based on iSelect health insurance sales, July 2024–June 2025
Of course, premiums can vary between health funds and even states. Opting to cover more people on a policy can also increase your premium.
How do I choose a super extras policy?
Before you dive into any policy documents, take a moment to think about what services you or anyone else on the policy is likely to use. If you’ve had extras insurance before, you could look at what claims you made (or didn’t make) as a guide.
Getting to grips with your budget, including possible out-of-pocket costs, can also help you narrow down your search before you even begin.
With all this in mind, you can start comparing super extras options. The trick is finding a policy that gives you value for money.
Frequently asked questions
Do waiting periods apply to super extras?
No one wants to wait around for an appointment. Unfortunately, if you’re hoping to make a claim on your super extras policy, you might need to settle in and watch that clock. This is down to waiting periods.
Waiting periods are how long you need to hold onto your extras cover before you can start claiming on it. It’s common for super extras cover to come with a range of waiting periods. Some services might have short waiting periods, like two months or so, while others could be 12 months or more.
In some cases, you could have no waiting periods for certain services, like general dental. If so, congrats, you can start claiming on that check-up, clean, and even fluoride treatment right away.
How do annual and combined limits work on super extras?
Extras policies tend to come with limits, and super extras options are no different.
Limits are caps for how much you can claim on a particular service. Sometimes these caps are shared between policyholders and dependants, and/or services. For instance, your policy might combine physio and chiro under an exercise physiology category. If you reached your category limit with just physio appointments, you wouldn’t be able to claim on any chiro appointments either until the limit resets.
Speaking of resets, most super extras policies wipe the slate clean annually, so you can start claiming again. This annual limit reset could be at the start of the New Year, financial year, or on your policy anniversary.
However, some bigger ticket items, can come with longer limit resets. In fact, some can even have lifetime limits. Once you hit that limit, that’s it.
Will I need to pay an excess for super extras?
Lots of insurance policies come with excesses, but super extras (and extras in general) are an exemption. You won’t need to pay for some of your treatment costs ahead of your appointment. However, that doesn’t mean you can leave your wallet at home.
Rather than an excess, extras policies usually come with out-of-pocket costs. This means that you can claim some money back on your appointment, but you’ll need to cover the rest of the service fee.
How much your super extras policy covers can vary. For instance, your health fund might cover a set percentage or dollar amount of the bill.
Does a super extras policy exempt me from the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) or Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading?
Health insurance can be a handy thing come tax time to avoid the MLS. However, even the Superman of super extras policies won’t be enough in this case. Only hospital cover counts towards the MLS.
It’s a similar story if you were hoping to avoid the LHC loading by taking out super extras cover before your birthday. Only hospital cover will help you avoid the LHC loading.
But that doesn’t mean you should ignore extras cover. Extras policies, including super extras, can be eligible for the private health insurance rebate. This means that if you earn less than a certain threshold, the Australian Government will subsidise part of your extras premium. You can opt to claim this money on your tax return, or have it deducted when you pay your premiums to your health insurer.
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Health Insurance & Tax
Tax Implications on Health Insurance
How to save on Health Insurance
About the Medicare Levy Surcharge
About the Life Time Health Cover Loading
Government Rebate & Means Testing
iSelect does not compare all health insurance providers or policies in the market. The availability of policies will change from time to time. Not all policies available from its providers are compared by iSelect and due to commercial arrangements, your stated needs and circumstances, not all policies compared by iSelect are available to all customers. Some policies and special offers are available only from iSelect’s contact centre or website. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers