Dental health insurance Australia

Regular dental check-ups, cleaning and fast treatment for minor dental problems are important. They also stop more serious dental problems down the track. It's also good for the hip pocket, since major dental costs (such as root canal) can be expensive.

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.

During your first 24 months of cover – after the standard hospital waiting periods have been served – Gold Hospital, Silver Hospital, Fit Top and Fit Ultra covers are subject to benefit limitations on selected services.

This means that the benefits payable on these services are limited to receive the public hospital default benefits only, during the 24 month benefit limitation period.

Once the waiting period and benefit limitation period has been served, you will have access to the benefits applicable on your level of cover.

No benefit limitation periods apply on Gold Hospital cover with Gap Saver.

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.

Unfortunately, even a dental check-up can cost over $100, so many Australians don't see their dentist often. Having cheap health insurance that includes dental cover can reduce the cost of these check-ups and can also reduce the cost of more major work.

The question is how to choose the right cover, from the right health insurer, for the right price?

Choosing cheap health insurance with dental cover

What's included?
Most health insurers offer cover for a number of different extras services. Things like dental, optical and physiotherapy, but sometimes less common services like podiatry. Generally, the more that's covered, the higher the price. So it's important to understand what you will use, what you won't and make sure that you're not paying for services that you don't need.

What do you get back?
Health insurers will offer anything up to 100% back on extras. This may mean you only end up paying for half of your dentist bill or even less! The more you get back, the more expensive the cover, so it's worth looking at how many times per year you will use your cover, and whether the cost is going to be worth it.