Short answer

• Most major Australian private health insurers now provide access to online/telehealth services for some types of care, but what’s included depends on the insurer and the type/level of cover (hospital vs extras, or specific mental-health/GP partnerships). (Medibank.com.au)

What you should know (key points)

• Types of telehealth covered vary:
  • Extras items (psychology, physio, dietetics, speech pathology, exercise physiology, podiatry, some lactation and allied health) are commonly claimable via telehealth where your extras cover includes them. Benefits, limits and waiting periods still apply. (Medibank.com.au)
  • GP telehealth is handled differently: some insurers don’t let ordinary resident members claim GP telehealth on their private policy (Medicare or out-of-pocket may apply), while others offer GP telehealth via a partner/platform with reduced or no out‑of‑pocket fees for members (or for some policy types, e.g. overseas student/workers). Examples: Bupa’s Blua offering (some free consults for eligible members), NIB’s partner arrangements and Medibank/HCF telehealth pathways. (NIB.com.au)
• Coverage is policy-specific: whether a telehealth consult is covered depends on (a) the exact service, (b) the level of extras cover you hold, (c) provider recognition (must be a recognised provider), and (d) waiting periods and annual limits. Always check your Product Disclosure Statement / cover summary. (Medibank.com.au)
• Public (Medicare) telehealth: Medicare still covers some telehealth services for eligible consultations — this runs alongside private coverage but has its own rules. If eligible, Medicare may be the cheapest route for some GP telehealth. (NIB.com.au)

Examples (current provider approaches)

• Bupa: operates Blua (online doctors) and in recent initiatives offered a small number of free telehealth doctor consults for eligible members; Bupa also covers telehealth for many allied health/extras items when included in your plan. (media.Bupa.com.au)
• Medibank: pays benefits for selected telehealth extras (psychology, physio, dietetics, etc.) where they’re included on your extras cover; recommends checking provider availability and your cover summary. (Medibank.com.au)
• HCF: has partnerships (e.g., GP2U, PSYCH2U) that give members access to GP and mental-health telehealth options (HCF members can access a standard GP2U video GP consult for a set fee via the partnership). (HCF.com.au)
• NIB: offers telehealth information and partner services; for Australian resident members GP telehealth claiming rules differ (overseas student/work policies may have different entitlements), and extras telehealth claiming is possible for eligible allied health items. (NIB.com.au)

How to choose a policy that gives the online access you want

1. Identify what you want online access for (GP, psychology, physio, dietitian, prescriptions, 24/7 on-demand doctor).
2. Check each insurer’s product page and the policy’s cover summary/Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for:
   • Whether that service is included on Extras or Hospital cover.
   • Any telehealth-specific exclusions, waiting periods and annual limits.
   • Whether the insurer has a dedicated digital platform or partner (Blua, GP2U, hub.health, etc.) and what member pricing or free consults are offered. (media.Bupa.com.au)
3. Ask about provider recognition: you’ll usually need to see a “recognised” provider to claim. Confirm whether your preferred practitioner offers telehealth and accepts your insurer’s claims. (Medibank.com.au)
4. Compare total cost vs benefit: telehealth access on a cheaper extras policy might be limited by low annual limits; a mid-tier extras policy may be better value if you need recurring allied-health telehealth.
5. If you need GP telehealth specifically, check whether Medicare or an insurer partner gives lower out-of-pocket cost for your situation (resident vs overseas student/worker). (NIB.com.au)

Practical next steps (fast)

• Pick 2–3 insurers you’re considering (e.g., Bupa, Medibank, HCF, NIB).
• Download/view each product’s PDS or “telehealth” page and note whether the online service you need is covered, the limits and waiting periods. (media.Bupa.com.au)
• Call the insurer’s member services to confirm telehealth rules for your exact policy and ask whether their digital platform/partner offers reduced or no-cost GP consults for members.
• If you already have a preferred practitioner, ask them if they offer telehealth and accept claims from your insurer.

If you want, I can:

• Look up and compare telehealth inclusions for 3 specific insurers/policies right now (I’ll check each insurer’s policy wording and quote the relevant telehealth lines from their PDS). (I will need the names of the insurers/policies you want compared.)

Would you like me to compare any particular insurers or policies for telehealth inclusions?