Extras cover · November 2026
Best extras cover for glasses
191 extras policies from funds anyone can join pay towards this. For one pair of prescription glasses a year, one of the 191 pays back more than it costs. Mildura Health’s Base Extras - A does best, +$32 ahead.
The ten that come out best
Worked for one adult in NSW, under 65, on the Base rebate, over a year: 1 × optical at $300. That is $300 with no cover. Ahead means the policy paid back more than its premiums; behind means paying your own way would have cost less.
$153 in premiums, $185 back
Go to Mildura Health (opens in a new tab)$316 in premiums, $240 back
Go to Mildura Health (opens in a new tab)$202 in premiums, $120 back
Go to HBF (opens in a new tab)$236 in premiums, $150 back
Go to see-u (opens in a new tab)$239 in premiums, $150 back
Go to Latrobe (opens in a new tab)$263 in premiums, $160 back
Go to HBF (opens in a new tab)$218 in premiums, $100 back
Go to HCF (opens in a new tab)$277 in premiums, $150 back
Go to Bupa (opens in a new tab)$365 in premiums, $225 back
Go to Queensland Country (opens in a new tab)$326 in premiums, $175 back
Go to Latrobe (opens in a new tab)
The middle policy of the 191 leaves you $523 behind, and the one at the bottom, Bupa’s Top Extras 90, $1,709 behind. A policy near the bottom is not a bad policy: it covers far more than one pair of prescription glasses, and you would be paying for all of it.
Your year is not exactly this one.
Put in what you actually use, in your state, for a couple or a family, and the calculator ranks every policy against it. It takes about two minutes and asks for no name or email.
Work out mine →Where the biggest funds land
The best policy for this from each of the six largest brands, and its place among all 191.
- Medibank Essential Extras 6013th$159 behind
- Bupa Budget Extras 608th$127 behind
- HCF Starter Extras (With Optical)7th$118 behind
- nib AAMI Starter Extras15th$169 behind
- HBF Smart Start Extras3rd$82 behind
- ahm value extras27th$225 behind
State by state
Premiums differ by state, so the order does too. The best policy for one adult in each state, and how many pay back at least what they cost there. Prices in the ACT follow NSW.
| State | Best policy | Over the year | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 191 |
| VIC | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 191 |
| QLD | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 188 |
| WA | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 191 |
| SA | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 191 |
| TAS | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 189 |
| NT | Mildura Health Base Extras - A | +$32 ahead | 1 of 191 |
What to know
Optical cover pays towards prescription glasses and contact lenses. The eye test itself is usually bulk billed through Medicare, so it does not need cover.
Almost every policy caps optical at a set amount a year, commonly $150 to $300. Paying a premium all year to get that amount back once only works when the premium is lower than the cap.
Waiting periods count against every policy here, as they would for someone joining now. If you already hold a policy and have served its waits, the calculator can price it beside every other one.
Best extras for something else
Worked from the Australian Government’s Private Health Open Listing, 01-Nov-2026, with the same sums as the calculator: listed premiums after the rebate, benefits capped by each policy’s limits and waiting periods. Typical prices are the calculator’s defaults and your provider may charge more or less. Restricted funds, corporate products and extras sold only with a hospital policy are left out. How the sums work.
This is general information, not personal financial advice. Confirm the premium and benefits with the fund before you buy or switch. Independent of every fund listed · No affiliate fees, no commissions.