What is the best extras cover for families in Australia?
There isn’t one extras policy that suits every family. The right cover depends on your family’s needs, budget, and the services you’re likely to use. Dental, optical and physiotherapy are commonly claimed extras services for children, while orthodontics can become important in the teenage years. If you’re comparing options, start by thinking about who needs cover, which services your family are most likely to claim, and the limits and benefit type that will allow you to get maximum value from your extras. Once you know which services and limits matter most to your family, you can compare how different extras products support those needs.
How family extras cover works — three things most people don't know
With family extras cover, you can cover yourself, your partner and any number of eligible dependant children on one policy. A few product features can make it easier to understand how your family’s extras claims may work throughout the year:
With SmartCare Extras each person covered by the policy has their own Smart Limit to use their own way on eligible included extras services (excluding optical) subject to annual limits, sub-limits and waiting periods.
Mid Extras have both per person and per membership limits, with a cap on the total amount claimable for certain services that are shared across the membership.
Understanding the difference in limit types can help you plan how your family uses extras throughout the year.
Annual limit rollover is available on SmartCare Boost Extras when combined with eligible hospital cover. Once you’ve held SmartCare Boost Extras at the same level (Starter, Everyday, or Complete) for 12 months, eligible unused annual limits will carry forward on 1 January for you to use for a further 12 months. This can help you get more value out of your cover for larger or less frequent costs, depending on the service, your level of cover and applicable limits.
Planning for children's orthodontics — why timing matters
Children's orthodontic treatment can be a significant family expense, with braces often costing between $7,000 and $12,000 depending on the treatment type and individual needs. If braces could be on the cards in the next few years, it’s worth planning and making sure you’re covered early — GMHBA orthodontic benefits have a 12-month waiting period from the date you take out cover.
GMHBA’s annual limit rollover could help you make the most of your benefits. Orthodontic coverage is available with SmartCare Complete Extras (sub-limit and no sub-limit) with annual limit rollover applied when combined with eligible hospital cover (SmartCare Complete Boost Extras). Once you’re eligible for annual limit rollover, unused amounts from your annual limits (excluding optical) roll over on 1 January. You then have an extra 12 months to claim benefits using these amounts. Any rolled-over amounts do not roll over again at the next limits reset date.
Which family extras cover might suit your situation?
The examples below show how different family needs can affect the type of extras cover worth considering. They’re not recommendations, but they can help you think about the services, limits and features that may matter most to your family.
| Family scenario | Cover option | How they might use it | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two adults with two young children | SmartCare Everyday Boost Extras with eligible hospital cover | Dental check-ups, optical and physio claims across four people. | Each person has their own eligible SmartCare limits, so one family member’s claims don’t reduce another’s. |
| Family with a teenager who may need orthodontics in year two | SmartCare Complete Boost Extras with eligible hospital cover | Join before orthodontic treatment is needed to allow time for the 12-month waiting period. | Eligible unused limits will roll over after 12 months on 1 January, helping families plan ahead for orthodontic costs, where the service is included and subject to applicable limits. |
| Single parent with one child expecting higher major dental costs | Mid Extras | Claim towards included major dental treatment, such as crowns or root canal treatment, after serving the 12-month waiting period. | Each person on the policy has a combined dental annual limit, separate from limits for services such as optical and physio. Dental sub-limits and service limits apply, so check expected benefits before treatment. |
How to choose the right extras cover for your family
Choosing extras cover for your family is easier when you start with how your family actually uses health services. Rather than looking for one “best” product, compare cover against your family’s stage, likely claims and budget.
Start with the extras services your family is most likely to use, such as dental, optical, physio or orthodontics.
Check whether those services are included on the level of cover you’re considering, and any waiting periods that apply.
Decide whether extras cover with flexible per person limits, which allows each person to spend their limits their way (excluding optical), or policy limits with fixed limits for each service better suits how your family claims.
If you want annual limit rollover (excluding optical), make sure you choose SmartCare Boost extras combined with eligible hospital cover.
Families can spend thousands of dollars each year on health insurance, so value matters, especially when you’re covering children as well as adults. As a not-for-profit health fund, GMHBA reinvests profits for the benefit of members rather than shareholders, with a focus on affordability, flexibility and access to care.
Frequently asked questions about family extras cover
The best extras cover depends on your needs and individual circumstances. You might want to consider whether you want per person limits and annual limit rollover, what you need cover for, and if you need a higher level of cover for services like orthodontics.
If you're already on a family policy, the good news is that it doesn’t matter if you include one or ten eligible dependants on your cover – the price will remain the same.
Yes, orthodontics is included on select extras covers, including SmartCare Complete Boost Extras, Mid Extras Set Benefits and Mid Extras 65%. A 12-month waiting period applies before you can claim for orthodontic treatment, so it’s worth joining before treatment is needed.
With SmartCare Complete Boost (available combined with hospital cover), eligible unused limits may roll over to the next year, giving you a bigger pool to use in your second year of cover after 12 months on the same cover, subject to your cover, service eligibility and applicable limits.
With SmartCare Extras, each person on your family policy has their own Smart Limit to use on eligible extras services (excluding optical). Policy limits aren’t shared across the family, so if one person claims more during the year, it won’t reduce the amount another family member has available. This is different to shared limits, where everyone on the policy draws from the same limit pool. Learn more about SmartCare Extras per-person limits.
Annual limit rollover is available on SmartCare Boost extras when combined with eligible hospital cover. Once you’ve held the cover for 12 months, any unused amount from each person’s eligible Smart Limit (excluding optical) will carry forward on 1 January for use over the next 12 months. If a person has used their full Smart Limit, nothing will roll over for that person—even if they haven’t reached the sub-limits for individual services. Rolled-over amounts cannot roll over again at the next limits reset date.
This can help your family plan for larger or less frequent costs, such as orthodontics, where the service is included in your cover and subject to applicable limits.
Learn more about annual limit rollover
The right extras depend on your family’s stage and health needs. As a guide:
- Young children: general dental and optical are typically the most used extras services for young children.
- Teenagers: consider cover for major dental and orthodontics early, as a 12-month waiting period applies before benefits can be claimed.
- Parents: services like physio and osteopathy may be beneficial, depending on your needs.