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Compare extras health policies which may include a gym membership through Savvy.
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Are you looking to squeeze the most benefits from your private health insurance, including a gym membership? There are many great deals available from health funds these days, including numerous wellbeing benefits such as subsidised memberships or yoga or pilates classes.
Compare a range of extras health insurance policies that may include positive health and wellness benefits through Savvy. Our panel of trusted insurers have a vast range of health insurance policies to suit a diverse range of individuals and families, which you can compare online right here today through Savvy.
With such fierce competition between health funds in Australia, health insurers are keen to attract new customers. One way they can do this is by offering special deals on their extras cover health insurance policies. These offers can provide many additional benefits to policyholders on top of the cover you would expect from extras cover, such as help with the cost of optical and dental services.
Hospital cover is highly regulated in Australia, with the Australian Government determining which health services must be provided with each tier of cover (basic, bronze, silver or gold). However, this isn’t the case with extras policies, allowing health funds more room to get creative and offer customers packages which can include gym memberships, subsidised yoga or pilates classes, gift cards and plenty more. The limitations are that under the Private Health Insurance Act, a benefit can only be paid if it’s part of a program designed to treat an existing health issue.
These additional benefits are generally only available with more expensive extras policies or combined extras and hospital cover policies. If you pay for the cheapest, most basic extras cover, you can expect to have some coverage for areas such as optical services (glasses and contact lenses),general dental, physio and chiropractor visits. However, more expensive extras policies can offer more bells and whistles, which may include the following:
Because special offers that come with extras policies vary to such an extent, it’s important to compare health insurance policies often to find out what special offers are available. You can do that through Savvy and get a range of free quotes to compare from a panel of leading insurers today.
When comparing extras policies, there are several key elements to consider, including:
While there’s a wide range of benefits when it comes to taking out health insurance, it’s important to keep in mind the following factors relating to gym memberships when considering your options:
Certificate needed from your GP
Not all health providers offer additional benefits such as free or discounted gym memberships. Additionally, they’re often granted only after you’ve shown a certificate from your GP or a healthcare professional stating that you require treatment for a specific health condition that can only be provided by gym equipment, for example. This statement is known as a Declaration of Condition form and will usually be available from your health fund’s website.
Must be a fund member for some time
Many such additional extras benefits are only available to members who have been with the same health fund for a set period. For example, you may have to have been a member for at least six months to claim the cost of gym membership. Some health funds increase the benefits according to how long you’ve been with the health fund.
May be out-of-pocket expenses
Health funds usually won’t cover 100% of the cost of extras benefits. For example, you may be able to claim up to a certain dollar amount towards your gym membership, or you may be able to claim the membership fees for a weight loss program, but you’ll have to pay for the food yourself.
This can help you pay for medical treatment if you need to be admitted to hospital. It can help cover the cost of your admission or accommodation and the fees charged by doctors, surgeons and anaesthetists. It can also cover other costs associated with a stay in a private hospital.
This helps cover the costs of health care treatments outside a hospital setting which aren’t covered by Medicare. This can include major and minor dental treatment, orthodontics, hearing aids, physiotherapy, glasses, contact lenses and podiatry (in most cases with annual limits).
This is a standard health insurance policy designed for a single person, rather than being tailored to cater to the needs of a couple or family. It may include hospital cover plus extras, or either of these types of insurance on their own, depending on what you're after for your health cover.
A family health insurance policy is designed for a family unit including dependent children who may reach up to 31 years of age with some insurers. It offers private health insurance suitable for the whole family and may include shared limits for all members included in your policy.
A health insurance policy aimed at seniors is designed to appeal to people who are in the second half of their life. These are often specific Silver Plus policies that offer the same cover as other health insurance policies, with the exception that pregnancy and childbirth cover may not be included.
Visitors who are in Australia on a temporary basis for travel, work or study may be able to take out Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). Many visas issued in Australia come with a requirement to take out this type of insurance, which covers visitors who may not be covered by Medicare.
Ambulance cover is generally available either packaged into your private health insurance or on its own as a separate policy or subscription. By having this protection, you could be covered for all eligible ambulance travel in Australia (subject to your insurer's terms and conditions).
The cheapest and most barebones form of private hospital insurance, this can include cover for rehab, in-hospital psychiatric services and palliative care. Having this policy will enable you to avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) and Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading.
Bronze hospital cover is a step up from basic insurance, including 18 further clinical categories such as ear, nose and throat, bone, joint and muscle, digestive system, joint reconstructions, gynaecology and chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer.
Silver hospital cover is the second-most expensive type of policy and offers the second-most clinical categories. On top of what's offered by basic and bronze cover, it also includes heart and vascular system, lung and chest, blood, hearing device implantation and dental surgery.
The highest level of private hospital insurance available in Australia, gold policies can offer cover for pregnancy and birth, weight loss surgery, assisted reproductive services and insulin pumps on top of all the categories provided by silver, bronze and basic hospital insurance.
Our comparison tool doesn’t cost you a cent, allowing anyone to compare offers from trusted insurers around Australia for free.
You can consider the inclusions, premiums, benefits and other key factors easily with us, whether you’re at home or on the go.
Considering offers from trusted insurance providers can help give you peace of mind that you’re comparing high-quality policies.
Once you’ve established that you need to use gym equipment for a specific medical condition, your health fund may allow you to claim up to your policy limit each year for your gym membership. However, you should check with them if you’re unsure about your obligations.
Yes – health funds are affiliated with different gym groups, so there may be a specification that you have to visit a gym which is in an alliance with your health fund. You should consider which nearby gyms you may have access to when considering if your extras cover is worth it. Contact your health insurer for specific details.
In certain circumstances, it’s possible to get assistance with the cost of a personal trainer, provided they’re assisting to treat you for a certified medical condition and not just because you want an impressive six-pack.
If you have a medical condition that requires a specific health management program, you may be able to claim benefits for things such as:
Read one of our helpful guides on a range of different ailments and potential hospital or extras treatments to help you find out if they're covered.
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Savvy’s comparison service is provided by Compare Club. Compare Club compares selected products from a panel of trusted insurers and does not compare all products in the market.
Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy.
For any further information on the variety of insurers compared by Compare Club or how their business works, you can read their Financial Services Guide.
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© Copyright 2024 Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd T/as Savvy. All Rights Reserved.
Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd (ABN 78 660 493 194) trades as Savvy and operates as an Authorised Credit Representative 541339 of Australian Credit Licence 414426 (AFAS Group Pty Ltd, ABN 12 134 138 686). We are one of Australia’s leading financial comparison sites and have been helping Australians make savvy decisions when it comes to their money for over a decade.
We’re partnered with lenders, insurers and other financial institutions who compensate us for business initiated through our website. We earn a commission each time a customer chooses or buys a product advertised on our site, which you can find out more about here, as well as in our credit guide for asset finance. It’s also crucial to read the terms and conditions, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or credit guide of our partners before signing up for your chosen product. However, the compensation we receive doesn’t impact the content written and published on our website, as our writing team exercises full editorial independence.
For more information about us and how we conduct our business, you can read our privacy policy and terms of use.
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