Cheap health insurance for families
Discover the perks of family health cover
Parents want nothing but the best for their kids, especially when it comes to their health care and health cover. Let's face it, finding affordable health insurance for families can be a major headache. We know - we're a health fund. Family health cover tends to come with a higher price tag compared to coverage for individuals, which makes it even more important to find the right plan that suits your family's needs.
Affordable health insurance for families
Bronze Plus Hospital (Bronze+) & Everyday Extras
- Major Dental
- 100% back on Optical
- Health Maintenance
- Emergency Ambulance Cover
- Back, neck and spine
- Lung & Chest
Silver Hospital (Silver) & More Extras
- Major Dental & Orthodontics
- 100% back on Optical
- Health Maintenance
- Podiatry
- Emergency Ambulance Cover
- Heart and vascular system
- Implantation of hearing devices
* The price shown is per week and applies to a Family, aged 30, living in VIC. It excludes LHC loading and includes a Base Tier Government Rebate
| Extras services (when included on cover) |
|---|
| All extras benefits except as specified below. Waiting Period: 2 Months |
| Optical, home and domestic aids and medical aids. Waiting Period: 6 months |
| Major dental services (including full & partial dentures, orthodontics, crown & bridgework, endodontic services such as root canal, gold fillings, indirect restorations, surgical extractions of a tooth/teeth including wisdom teeth). Waiting Period: 12 Months |
| Health appliances including nebuliser pump, blood glucose monitor, pressure garments, sleep apnoea monitor, extremity pump, hearing aids, orthopaedic appliances (GMHBA approved), prostheses (GMHBA approved non-surgical), tens monitor, podiatry surgical procedures and orthotic appliances (foot). Waiting Period: 12 Months |
| Hospital services (when included on cover) |
|---|
| Accidents - bodily injuries resulting from accidents which occur after the date of joining GMHBA or upgrading to a higher cover. Waiting Period: No |
| Obstetrics and maternity. Waiting Period: 12 months |
| Pre-existing ailment, illness or condition (other than psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care). Waiting Period: 12 months |
| Any other benefit for hospital (or hospital substitution) treatment. Waiting Period: 2 months |
A pre-existing condition is one where signs or symptoms of your ailment, illness or condition, in the opinion of a medical practitioner appointed by GMHBA (not your own doctor), existed at any time during the six months preceding the day on which you purchased your hospital insurance or upgraded to a higher level of hospital cover and/or benefit entitlement.
A special waiting period applies to obtain benefits for hospital treatment for new members who have pre-existing conditions. The waiting period also applies to existing members who have recently upgraded their level of hospital cover. If the ailment, illness or condition is considered pre-existing:
New members
New members must wait 12 months for any hospital benefits (other than psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care).
Existing members (transferring or upgrading)
Members transferring/upgrading to a higher hospital cover must wait 12 months to get the higher hospital benefits (other than psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care).
Existing members (with at least 12 months membership)
Existing members with at least 12 months membership in total across their old and new cover are entitled to the lower benefits on their old cover.
Silver Hospital cover provides the same single room coverage as Gold Hospital, but co-payments of $100 per day up to a maximum of $700 per admission apply. Co-payments are not the same as hospital excess. Please note: Some private hospitals only have single rooms and co-payments will apply.
Co-payments do not apply.
The challenge of public hospital waiting lists
Public hospital waiting lists can be really long when it comes to non-emergency procedures like tonsillectomies, grommet procedures, or joint reconstructions. While you may be eligible for free treatment through the public system, you or your family members could face long waits for surgery. This is where having cheap health insurance for families can help you to bypass the public hospital queues and get treatment in a private hospital. Plus, the option of having a private room (if available) as you recover can be a big factor in families taking out private hospital cover.
Beyond Medicare: addressing family health needs
Australians are lucky to have Medicare - a remarkable service that provides coverage for medical consultations, tests, and examinations.
Sometimes, Medicare may fall short in meeting all of your family's healthcare needs when it comes to treatments outside of hospitals. Visiting the dentist, getting physiotherapy, purchasing new glasses or orthotics - all of these can be expensive. That's where cheap health insurance for families comes into play, providing benefits for those kinds of treatments if you need them.
Balancing coverage and the cost of health insurance
Expensive family health insurance policies may be a waste of money, with cover for things your family will never use.
The key is to compare policies, aiming not only cheap family health insurance but the one that offers the best value for your needs.
Navigating hospital and extras cover
When searching for the best health cover for your family, the first step is to consider the type of benefits you expect from private cover.
While there might be cheaper health insurance policies available, it's key to understand why they come with lower costs. This could involve additional exclusions, and a higher excess. Having private hospital cover allows you to choose the doctor who treats you (subject to availability) – unlike in the public system. This is important for families who prefer continuity of care or need specialised healthcare providers, such as pediatricians.
Many families opt for the peace of mind provided by extras cover along with hospital cover. Bundled packages offer not only hospital coverage but also benefits for health services not covered by Medicare or hospital cover, such as dental, optical, chiropractic, physiotherapy, and acupuncture, among others.
Frank offers two extras plans that provide cheap health insurance for families: Lots and Some. Like hospital cover, higher-level extras cover offers benefits for a wider range of treatments and services. Just review the details carefully.
Alongside our commitment to cheap and simple health insurance for families, we prioritize choice. Cheap doesn't have to mean limited. Our extras plans offer the option of either 50% or 80% back on extras. Choosing the 80% option may result in higher premiums, but your out-of-pocket costs could be lower. You may find that you reach your annual limits quickly if you are a regular extras user. If so, using the 50% option gives you the option to pay higher out-of-pocket costs and use your annual limits over the course of a year.
Keeping costs lower
Health insurance premiums tend to increase on a regular basis because of government regulations and higher medical costs. If you want to spend less on your private health cover, it's best to shop around and compare policies before April each year.
Many insurance companies have promotional offers like giving a free month of insurance or waiving certain waiting periods. These can help make your cheap health insurance for families even more affordable.
Get extras cover and save 15% - 40%* off dental treatments with smile.com.au
*Savings may vary between dentists. It is recommended that members obtain a quote prior to treatment.
