Family extras cover pays part of the cost of dental, optical, physio and other services for everyone on your family policy. The value depends on how much your family uses, the annual limits per person and waiting periods, especially for braces.
Key points
- Family extras covers two adults and dependent children on one policy, usually with limits per person.
- Dental is the most claimed extras service: 14.7 million dental services were claimed in the June 2026 quarter alone.
- Braces usually have a 12-month waiting period and a lifetime limit per person.
- The government rebate applies to extras premiums as well as hospital.
- Some children may also be eligible for the government's Child Dental Benefits Schedule through Medicare.
How family extras cover works
A family extras policy covers you, your partner and your dependent children. Each service has an annual limit, which can be per person or shared across the family, and the fund pays a set amount or percentage of each visit. Some policies offer no-gap check-ups at participating dentists.
What families claim most
| Extras service, June 2026 quarter | Services claimed | Average benefit per service |
|---|---|---|
| Dental | 14.7 million | $68 |
| Physiotherapy | 3.3 million | $43 |
| Optical | 2.7 million | $84 |
| Chiropractic | 2.3 million | $36 |
Source: APRA, Quarterly private health insurance membership and benefits summary, June 2026. Members paid an average of $64.05 out of pocket per extras service.
The big one: braces
Orthodontics is usually the largest single extras cost a family faces. Most policies that include it have a 12-month waiting period and a lifetime limit per person. If your child might need braces in a few years, joining now means the wait is served in time.
Government help for kids' teeth
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule pays for basic dental services for eligible children aged 0 to 17, up to a capped amount over two calendar years. Eligibility depends on family payments such as Family Tax Benefit Part A. You can use it alongside extras.
Waiting periods: extras waits are set by each fund. privatehealth.gov.au says they're generally 2 to 6 months for things like general dental, optical and physio, and 12 months or more for major items such as orthodontics or hearing aids.
How to choose family extras
- List what your family used last year: check-ups, glasses, physio, speech pathology, psychology.
- Check whether limits are per person or shared, and when they reset.
- Check orthodontic benefits, lifetime limits and waiting periods.
- Compare the premium after the rebate with what you'd realistically claim.
Four families, four situations
These use illustrative premiums and benefits, not real policy prices.
Family, two kids under 8
Four check-ups and cleans plus glasses could return several hundred dollars a year on mid extras.
Family, teen likely to need braces
Join at least 12 months before treatment and check the lifetime limit per child.
Single parent, one child, earning $90,000
On an illustrative $1,600 family extras policy, the rebate is about $386.
Family, light users
A starter extras policy, or paying directly, may be better value.
Illustrative only. Premiums and benefits are made up for the examples. Rebate rate: privatehealth.gov.au, 2026–27.
Compare family extras policies that fit what your family uses.
Compare health insuranceFamily extras cover: your questions answered
Are extras limits per person or per family?
It depends on the policy. Some have per-person limits, some share a family limit, and some combine both.
Do kids need to serve waiting periods on extras?
Usually yes, when they're first added, unless they're newborns added within the fund's time frame.
Can I use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule and extras together?
Yes. Eligible children can use the scheme, and extras can help with services it doesn't cover.
Does family extras cover braces for adults?
Some policies do, with the same per-person lifetime limit. Check the policy.
Is family extras worth it?
If your family's likely claims outweigh the premium after the rebate, usually yes. Light users may come out ahead paying directly.
When do extras limits reset?
Usually on 1 January or on your policy anniversary.
Sources
- APRA, Quarterly private health insurance membership and benefits summary, June 2026
- Australian Government, privatehealth.gov.au, General treatments (extras) definitions
- Australian Government, privatehealth.gov.au, Waiting periods
- Australian Government, privatehealth.gov.au, Private health insurance rebate
Things you should know
This article is general information only and doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. Konkrd compares policies from a range of funds. Prices, products and offers change often and vary by state, excess and rebate tier. Read a policy's Private Health Information Statement before buying.
