Essentials Extras
An extras policy from Defence Health.
- Defence Health only takes current or former members of the ADF and the Defence community and their families.
Premiums for every state, cover type and excess this policy is sold with, and what it covers, from the statement Defence Health files with the government. Monthly, before the rebate and any Lifetime Health Cover loading.
From
Single, NT, no excess, before the rebate.
- Medicare levy surcharge
- Does not exempt you
- Ambulance
- Emergency and non-emergency, call-out fees included, no limit
- Who can join
- Restricted
The Private Health Information Statement for this price, on PrivateHealth.gov.au.
Defence Health's page for this policyAgainst every other extras policy in NSW & ACT
Single cover, corporate and restricted policies included. Further right covers more services, higher up costs more.
It covers 9 services for $31.44 a month. Of the 396 other policies, 30 cost less and 324 cover more services.
Monthly premium by state and cover type
NSW prices also apply in the ACT. Each price in the tables opens its official Private Health Information Statement on PrivateHealth.gov.au, with a PDF to download.
Single premium in each state
To the nearest dollar, a month before the rebate. The tables below have every price to the cent.
No excess
| State | Single | Couple | Family | Single parent | Extended family | Extended single parent | Dependants only |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW & ACT | $31.44 | $62.88 | $62.88 | $55.02 | $78.60 | $66.02 | $31.44 |
| VIC | $33.28 | $66.56 | $66.56 | $58.24 | $83.20 | $69.89 | $33.28 |
| QLD | $33.28 | $66.56 | $66.56 | $58.24 | $83.20 | $69.89 | $33.28 |
| SA | $33.14 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $58.00 | $82.85 | $69.59 | $33.14 |
| WA | $30.54 | $61.08 | $61.08 | $53.45 | $76.35 | $64.13 | $30.54 |
| TAS | $33.28 | $66.56 | $66.56 | $58.24 | $83.20 | $69.89 | $33.28 |
| NT | $27.68 | $55.36 | $55.36 | $48.44 | $69.20 | $58.13 | $27.68 |
Pays towards 9 of 27 standard services
Yearly limits, per person, against the typical policy
- General dental$500typical policy $800
- Optical$170typical policy $220
- Physiotherapyshared with 4 other services$450typical policy $450
- Chiropracticshared with 4 other services$450typical policy $400
What it pays on common claims, against the typical policy
- Periodic oral exam (item 012)$30.80typical policy $35.20
- Scale and clean (item 114)$60.40typical policy $66.85
- Single vision lenses and frames100% of the feetypical policy $220.00
- Physiotherapy, first visit$82.00typical policy $42.00
| Service | Waiting period | Yearly limit, per person | Example benefits (all states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General dentalconditions apply | 2 months | $500 | Periodic oral exam (item 012): $30.80Scale and clean (item 114): $60.40Fluoride treatment (item 121): $16.40Simple extraction (item 322): $107.30 |
| Optical | 2 months | $170 | Multifocal lenses and frames: 100%Single vision lenses and frames: 100% |
| Physiotherapy | 2 months | $450shared with 4 other services | Physiotherapy, first visit: $82.00Physiotherapy, later visit: $67.00 |
| Chiropractic | 2 months | $450shared with 4 other services | Chiropractic, first visit: $55.00Chiropractic, later visit: $36.00 |
| Acupuncture | 2 months | $200shared with remedial massage | Acupuncture, first visit: $63.00Acupuncture, later visit: $51.00 |
| Remedial massage | 2 months | $200shared with acupuncture | Remedial massage, first visit: $50.00Remedial massage, later visit: $42.00 |
| Exercise physiology | 2 months | $450shared with 4 other services | Exercise physiology, first visit: $64.00Exercise physiology, later visit: $45.00 |
| Osteopathy | 2 months | $450shared with 4 other services | Osteopathy, first visit: $67.00Osteopathy, later visit: $54.00 |
| Vaccinationsconditions apply | 2 months | $450shared with 4 other services | Vaccination: $50.00 |
Not covered: major dental, endodontic (root canals), orthodontics, non-pbs medicines, podiatry, psychology, hearing aids, blood glucose monitors, audiology, antenatal and postnatal, chinese herbal medicine, dietetics, orthoptics, health management programs, home nursing, occupational therapy, orthotics, speech therapy.
Other services: Health and Wellbeing annual limit $200 includes: Acupuncture, Remedial Massage, Myotherapy - initial consultation: $57.00, subsequent consultation: $48.00, Group Physiotherapy - $24.00 per session and Group Exercise Physiology - $15.00 per session.
From the insurer: All benefits are per person. Benefits reset on 1 July each year. Details and claim conditions are provided in product guides available at defencehealth.com.au or 1800 335 425.
A 12 month waiting period applies for Surgical tooth extraction. Pharmaceutical benefits are only paid for travel vaccinations.
Example benefits are what the policy pays for that item at a provider without a special arrangement with the insurer; a percentage is of the fee charged. The typical policy is the middle one of the 708 extras policies on the market that aren't sold only through employers.
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Source: PrivateHealth.gov.au data (Private Health Insurance Ombudsman) via data.gov.au, licensed CC BY 3.0 AU. Normalised by The Finance Algorithm from the extract dated 1 Oct 2026, read on 23 Oct 2026.
Premiums are monthly and shown before the Australian Government rebate and any Lifetime Health Cover loading or age-based discount. Confirm the price and the cover with the insurer before you buy; the official statement for every policy is on PrivateHealth.gov.au. This is general information, not advice, and no insurer pays to be listed or ranked here.