Teachers Health Group enhances Extras benefits

Not-for-profit private health insurance (PHI) provider Teachers Health Group (Teachers Health) has improved the Extras benefits for its members, effective April 1, 2022.

Established by teachers over 65 years ago, Teachers Health provides health insurance for teachers, the education community, and their families. Since its launch, it has become Australia's largest industry-based health fund and one of the country's leading not-for-profit health insurers.

The improved Extras benefits effective next month include:

Psychology

• Top Extras: Increase in initial consultation from $72 to $100;
• Essential Extras: Increase overall limit from $250 to $300; and
• StarterPak: Introducing psychology to the product with an overall limit of $300.

Podiatry

• Top Extras: Increase initial consultation from $40 to $45, and
• Top Extras – Orthotics: Introduction of benefits from pre-made devices that are moulded and heat-moulded.

Read more: Teachers Health makes lowest premium increase in 20 years

The improvements are part of Teachers Health's support initiatives for their members during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included:

• The deferral of the 2022 premium increase until October 1, 2022, along with the deferral of the 2020 premium increase;
• The rollover of unused 2021 Extras annual limits which came into effect on January 1, 2022;
• The introduction of permanent telehealth benefits for a range of services;
• Cover for COVID-19 hospital admissions for members on all levels of hospital cover and additional telehealth services for physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, chiropractic, and osteopathic services and podiatry, received before December 31, 2022; and
• Financial hardship relief.

“COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of mental health support, which is why we've improved psychology benefits on all our Extras covers,” said Teachers Health CEO Brad Joyce.   

“As a not-for-profit, we're committed to listening and responding to the changing health requirements of our members, and our Extras benefits improvements are a direct response to their feedback. We've improved benefits on the services our members have told us they need the most – including podiatry, permanent telehealth benefits for a range of services, and expanding our optical provider network.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Teachers Health has provided around $26 million in savings for members as of January 2022.