HealthFund Rebates

Many health insurance companies offer their members a variety of discounts and refunds on laser eye surgery and packages that cover it.

If you are not a member of any health fund, you can visit their websites to find out more about their great range of hospital, extras and packaged covers — so you can choose which health fund to join with your needs in mind, and when you become a member, take advantage of this special member-only offer.

Laser eye surgery is not covered under Medicare, except in the rare case when it’s used to treat certain eye diseases.

We will honour any other health fund/laser vision correction special offer—just share the details with us.

The following health insurance providers offer some form of laser eye surgery coverage:

Provider
Cover Type
Procedures Offered
Waiting Period
Covered
BUPA
Ultimate Hospital and Ultimate Extras Cover
LASIK, PRK and SMILE
12 months for current members, 36 months for new members after July 1 2018
Full cost of surgery
AHM
Lifestyle Extras and Super Extras
Laser eye surgery
24 months
$600 per eye under Lifestyle Extras and $900 per eye under Super Extras
Medibank Private
Ultra Health Cover
LASIK, PRK and LASEK
36 months
Up to $3,500
Defence Health
Top Extras
LASIK and PRK
12 months
Up to $1,000 per person
HBF
Ultimate Cover (available to members in WA only)
LASIK, ICL and PRK
12 months
Full cost of surgery

ATO tax rebate

Net medical expenses tax offset

Net medical expenses are the medical expenses you have paid less any refunds of these expenses which you or any other person has received or are entitled to receive, from Medicare or a private health insurer. If you are elderly or on a disability pension you can claim a tax offset of 20% – 20 cents in the dollar – of your net medical expenses over $2162. There is no upper limit on the amount you can claim.

This could be equivalent to a saving of $600-$800, depending on your procedure.

Find out more from the ATO