Health Insurance 9

What treatments aren’t covered?
It's also important to check any other restrictions that apply to the hospital cover you're considering. For example a number of policies place limits on some treatments (which means the fund will only meet part of the costs) and may exclude cover for some treatments altogether.

Commonly limited and excluded treatments include:
Assisted reproduction
Bone marrow transplants
Coronary bypass and major heart surgery
Cataract eye surgery
Dialysis
Hip, knee and other joint replacements
Obstetrics and birth related care
Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery
Psychiatric care
Rehabilitation

So remember, if you specifically want cover for any of these things, make sure you double check with your health fund to make sure these treatments aren’t excluded or limited in any way.

Remember, even younger people can sometimes require treatments such as cardiac surgery and hip or knee replacements.

Extras/ancillary cover
Extras health insurance covers non-hospital treatments that aren’t covered by Medicare — for example, dental treatment, physiotherapy, glasses and contact lenses, plus less common treatments such as acupuncture and podiatry. Some extras policies cover complementary treatments like massage.

Some funds restrict the overall limit by combining the maximum limits — for example, saying you can have $400 worth of physiotherapy and chiropractic in a year instead of $400 for each. This restriction can mean very large differences in how much you’ll get. It’s also worth noting the difference between family limits and single limits. Some policies limit the number of times a family can claim for some services.

For ancillary/extras cover, especially if you're in a rural area, check whether the health care provider of your choice (such as an acupuncturist) is covered by the fund.

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