Health
Use your health insurance extras to support a ‘year of feeling better’
Are you in danger of letting this year’s health cover extras expire unused? Guilty! So let’s map out a plan to use every single benefit and squeeze maximum wellbeing from your cover.
By Bron Maxabella
Did you know that health insurance extras expire every 31 December, whether you've used them or not? You promise yourself you'll use every last benefit, then suddenly it's Christmas and you've barely booked a massage. Not this year! It's time to turn those extras into your ultimate year-round self-care plan.
Scheduling regular treatments and services throughout the year – like massages, physio or acupuncture – can significantly boost your physical health, mental wellbeing and overall quality of life.
Instead of scrambling at year's end, spreading out your extras ensures consistent care, preventing small issues from turning into bigger ones. It makes wellness a steady habit rather than an afterthought.
While you might not be able to fit all of these goodies in before the end of this calendar year, make a note to book them each month next year. Before you do, just be sure to check what extras your own health insurance covers and how much you’re likely to get back. If you’re not sufficiently covered, find out what you can get elsewhere using Citro partner Compare the Market – you might find you can get more for less if you shop around.
Start with a remedial massage
Between writing at my desk and carrying around life's emotional baggage (I'm looking at you, teenagers), my shoulders constantly feel like they're attached to my ears. Using my health extras for monthly remedial massages has become a non-negotiable for me. It's not just about relaxing; research confirms regular remedial massage can help reduce pain, lower stress and anxiety and improve sleep. I think we could all use a little more of that!
Move onto Pilates
Another go-to for me that my health insurance extras contributes to is weekly clinical Pilates. Now, if you're imagining fancy stretching when you hear Pilates, think again. My instructor, physio Mikaela smiles sweetly while quietly orchestrating abdominal torture. Little wonder then that Pilates is ideal for building strength, flexibility and preventing injuries. For me, going twice a week is the difference between bounding out of bed or slowly creaking awake.
Just be aware that you generally can’t claim your Pilates classes on private health unless they’re part of a physio treatment plan. So while a bit of stretching and core work is fabulous for fitness, you’ll need a specific injury or condition – and a physio’s prescription – to have it count as an ‘extra’.
Physiotherapy isn’t just for athletes
Speaking of physios, I owe mine my mobility. Years ago, after almost a year of niggling knee pain, I finally booked in to see a physio and discovered I had torn my meniscus in two places (during the first and last season of netball I ever played). By the time I finally went to the physio I was almost immobile and felt like I was about 80 years old. Lucky for me, they literally had me up and running again within months – all partly financed by my health fund extras.
I’ll never be so cavalier about my mobility and health again and I highly recommend you book in for a session ‘just to see’, like I did. According to Health Direct, as well as injuries, regular physio can help improve things like chronic pain, reduced mobility, incontinence and many other conditions.
Acupuncture is surprisingly not scary
Acupuncture always seemed intimidating. Needles? No thanks! Until I gave it a try to ease back and hip pain (brought on by my knee pain, see above). Now I’m an absolute convert and I know acupuncture isn’t something I would have tried if it wasn’t for the ‘discount’ of getting money back from my health cover extras.
I was right to give it a go, though. Acupuncture, as noted by Health Direct, can help manage a variety of symptoms like pain, insomnia and allergies. It’s also surprisingly one of the most relaxing things I’ve ever experienced – even with my latent needle phobia.
Sweat the smart stuff
Health management programs and exercise physiology sessions are often tucked away in your extras cover, just waiting to be used. These benefits can support everything from managing chronic conditions to improving mobility, strength and overall fitness with expert guidance tailored to your needs.
Whether it’s a gym membership, arthritis management class or one-on-one sessions with an exercise physiologist, these extras can be a game changer for your long-term health. Just make sure the program is approved by your fund and recommended by your GP or allied health provider to claim it.
Mental health support is your secret superpower
We should never underestimate our mental health, so consider using extras for counselling or psychology sessions as an investment in long-term wellness. Medicare will help cover 10 psychology sessions a year if your GP recommends a mental health treatment plan. But for many of us, a diagnosable mental health issue isn’t what leads us to seek support. Instead, regular mental health check-ins can help provide the tools to navigate life's inevitable ups and downs. Or, as I like to think of it, the tools to do life better.
A brighter smile with regular dental
Dental extras are the unsung heroes of your health cover – because there ain’t no clean like a dentist’s clean. It’s just that no one wants to fork out full price to wear outdated sunglasses while someone digs into their teeth.
Most policies include things like check-ups, cleans, X-rays and the odd emergency crown. But to really make the most of it, you’ve got to book in regularly. Those twice-yearly visits aren’t just for show, they’re your ticket to keeping bigger (and more expensive) issues at bay.
If you really want to up your glam game, look into whether your health insurance covers teeth whitening and straightening. You could look like an extra in an American sitcom for much less…
Fuel up for top-notch wellbeing
My brief fling with a dietitian during my first pregnancy (back in the Dark Ages) was eye-opening. Rather than just handing me a kale smoothie recipe, she taught me how to fuel my body properly (lucky for me, a sweet treat remained firmly on the menu).
The evidence supports that a good diet leads to better health outcomes – both physically and mentally. Dietitians Australia 2024 Mental Health Evidence Brief highlighted how tailored nutritional advice improves energy, mood and overall health. My health insurance extras part-covered the sessions, making it easy to justify this investment in my ongoing health. Could you also benefit from a chat with a registered dietitian?
Make this your year of feeling fabulous
Here's a radical idea: instead of letting your extras lapse, why not strategically map out your year of wellness? Schedule massages, book Pilates, reserve acupuncture and lock in those physio sessions. Then, let the glow-up commence!
But first, check if your current cover aligns with your health goals. Policies vary wildly in coverage and cost, so take a quick visit to Compare the Market. Compare extras policies to make sure your plan gives you everything you need (and nothing you don't).
Feature image: iStock/miniseries
The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional health care provider.
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