Dental Cover

For eligible Extras cover, HIF will pay a benefit per orthodontic item. In these instances, HIF will pay 100% of the cost up to your annual limit on your initial claim.

If your orthodontic treatment continues across multiple calendar years and you maintain orthodontic cover under your Extras policy, we may pay benefits up to your annual limits each calendar year, until your lifetime limit.

To be eligible to claim benefits in the next calendar year you must:

• Ask your dental provider for an updated letter which details your treatment for the current year, along with the expected treatment duration, item codes, fees and outstanding balance.
• Submit your letter to claims@hif.com.au
• We will then assess the benefits payable and pay 100% of the eligible cost up to your annual lifetime limit.
• For each subsequent calendar year that your orthodontic treatment continues, steps 1 and 2 will be repeated.

To learn more about Orthodontic treatment and benefits, please read our Health Cover Guide.

Important: For members on Special, Super or Premium Options cover HIF will pay a set benefit per orthodontic item as an immediate benefit (claimable when your braces are fitted), subject to your annual and lifetime orthodontic limits. Please  contact us prior to your dental treatment for more info on how to claim for Orthodontics or if you wish to receive a benefit estimate.

We always recommend contacting us for a benefit estimate before you receive any dental treatment, so we can let you know exactly what you have cover for and the amount we’ll pay. 

To get started, simply ask your dentist to provide an itemised dental estimate – this should include a list of the items you’ll be billed for, the fee for each item, and the provider number of the dentist who will be performing the treatment. 

Then, send us the details using our dental estimate online form. You can also obtain an Extras estimate using our Online Member Centre. Alternatively, give us a call on 1300 134 060 and we can provide you with a dental benefit estimate over the phone.

You can use your HIF Dental cover to claim straight away for any services that were covered by your previous health fund when you switch to HIF, making the dental insurance switch seamless. Here's what you need to know:

• To ensure that all your existing benefits and previously served waiting periods are recognised by HIF, you must switch within two months of leaving your previous health fund and provide a valid Clearance Certificate.

• If you switch to HIF while waiting periods were still being served with your previous fund, you'll need to complete the remaining periods with HIF before claiming.

• You can join HIF with a higher level of cover than you held at your previous fund and still claim without having to wait – HIF will simply pay benefits based on our equivalent of the cover you held at your previous fund, until you have served the upgraded waiting periods on the higher level of cover.

Want us to handle the paperwork for you? No worries! Find out more about switching health funds. 

The HIF Choice Network for Dental services will launch on 1 January 2026 and will be effective for services provided from this date, nationally. This is to align with the annual Extras benefit limits resetting.

Members can use our helpful online tool to find a Choice Network dentist near you. 

The HIF Choice Network aims to reduce out-of-pocket costs for our members, but our members are free to see any dentist they choose. Whether the dentist is in our network or not, we will continue to pay benefits to eligible members.

When selecting dentists to join our network, we take into account factors such as where our members are located, the level of service offered, and how fees and benefits compare. While not every dentist is part of our network, we review this regularly to ensure it supports both member choice and affordable access to dental care across Australia. 

Subject to service, waiting period and annual limits, eligible members can benefit from 100% back on up to two dental check-ups and cleans every year, as well as no out-of-pocket costs for consult/examination, fluoride treatment, x-rays and other preventative dental services^#.

If your dentist is registered with the HIF Choice Network, a claim can be submitted electronically at the dentist practice using an HIF member card or HIF App, or the paid invoice can be submitted via OMC, HIF App, email or post.

Members are free to visit and claim for treatment from any registered dentist. Benefits will be paid according to members’ policy, but members may have higher out-of-pocket expenses if they aren’t part of the HIF Choice Network.