PH insurance 'extras'? Do you use them?

[carls888]

Hi,
we are TTC #1 in June and have joined PHI in top hospital cover.
We have been debating whether to add on the extras or not.
It will be an extra payment of $45-50 per month and we don't know if it would be worth it.
We currently go to the dentist when needed, I get glasses once every 3 years, and DH and I go to natropath maybe twice a year, each. ($50 a visit)
When you are pregnant, do you use these more?
The alternative would be to wait until our child(ren) are older and then add it on.
Any advice or an insight to what you use would be wonderful.
BTW the insurer is Central West Health. Any comments on these guys?


Thanks,
Carla

[M O P]

As with any extras for private health insurance work out how much you'd roughly spend in a given year and work out how much they will roughly cover you for. I'd say just by going on what you said you'd probably be better off without extras and just paying for each item as it comes up.

[aardvark]

In the second half of my pregnancy, I used a podiatrist to get my toenails cut and callouses removed - it was just too difficult to do it myself. It was more cost effective t see a podiatrist than a beautician - a) I could claim it on my extras, b) because it then counts as a health expense, the out of pocket amount goes towards my health expenditure for taxation purposes.

I also see a chiropractor regularly, and during the later part of my pregnancy, I started seeing a remedial masseuse to help with fluid retention.

On top of that, there has been chiropractic and physiotherapy for DH during the year, and naturopathy as well, plus the usual dental checks etc.

I think we get better mileage out of our extras cover than from the hospital cover.