Allianz Care Australia OSHC
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a type of health insurance designed specifically for international students who are studying in Australia. It is mandatory for anyone with a student visa and must be maintained throughout your entire study period. OSHC covers the cost of some hospital treatment, emergency ambulance services, visits to the doctor and limited pharmaceutical medicines.
"OSHC is not only a mandatory requirement for international students, but it also gives a piece of mind, knowing that you can access quality healthcare in Australia whenever needed. From personal experience, a quick tip for you is to research the best possible option that suits your needs when choosing your OSHC provider."
Your insurer will pay up to 100% of your hospital costs as long as your policy lists the treatment as covered. You may get less if you use a hospital that doesn't have a partnership with your insurer.
Your insurer will pay up to 100% of the amount that the Federal Government has determined that standard GP consultation should cost (you'll pay any difference if your provider charges more).
You'll usually get a set yearly dollar amount that you can apply toward prescriptions and up to 85% for specialist service costs including X-rays and bloodwork.
Your insurer will pay up to 100% of your ambulance rides in an emergency. If it's not an emergency, you'll be responsible for the cost.
Most OSHC policies don't include dental cover since it's not required as part of your visa. However, international students can get extras cover for non-hospital treatments like dental, optical and physio.
You can find plans that cover general dental treatments like cleanings, X-rays and simple fillings, or you can upgrade to a plan that includes major dental work like root canals, complex fillings and crowns.
You can choose from any extras policy in the Australian market and you'll hold this type of cover in addition to your OSHC policy.
Keep in mind that you'll probably be unable to claim for a number of medical services and treatments under your student health insurance policy. Common exclusions include:
Generally, everyone with a Subclass 500 Student Visa needs OSHC. Condition 8501 on the Department of Home Affairs website says that, "You must have and maintain adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay in Australia."
OSHC is designed to meet your visa's criteria and covers you as long as your premiums are paid and you're enrolled as a full-time student. When you take out OSHC, the insurer will email you a confirmation certificate which you can attach to your visa application.
If you're travelling to Australia on a Subclass 500 Student Visa with your partner or spouse, they'll also need cover. The good news is, you can apply for a couples policy to make sure you're compliant with the visa requirements.
Just be ready for it to be a lot more expensive - the cost of couples OSHC policies tends to be a lot higher for couples, likely because of the increased chance of you having a baby. You might be better of looking for two separate single policies.
You're not required to have OSHC if you're a student from Belgium, Norway or Sweden. Under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) that Australia has with those nations, you'll be able to claim benefits for certain medical treatment under the public health system called Medicare.
Be aware that if you are a student from any of the other countries Australia has an RHCA with, this does not exempt you from needing to take out OSHC.
If you need to provide evidence of your health insurance arrangements, any the following may be considered acceptable, unless a particular visa subclass instruction requires other specific information:
Family members applying separately from the primary visa applicant or visa holder must produce evidence as per above, which clearly indicates that they, as dependant applicants, will be covered upon arrival in Australia by a policy with an adequate level of cover."
Yes, you're able to change your OSHC provider at any time, but you may incur a cancellation fee or refund processing fee.
If you plan to change OSHC providers, you must ensure there is no gap in coverage between your old and new providers. This means you must arrange cover from your new provider first, before cancelling your previous policy.
Any waiting periods that you have served on your existing policy will be honoured when you transfer your cover.
Compare Australian OSHC policies and request a quote
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I have a student visa and I want to include my family (wife and minor children) and I need medical coverage that includes pediatrics and endocrinology, since my daughter has type 1 diabetes and needs insulin, which do you recommend?
Hi Augusto,
Any health insurance policy that covers diabetes should be able to help with costs – for example, Bupa Overseas Student Health Cover covers diabetes management.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Gary
I have to extend my international student visa- hence I was wondering how I should go about extending my OSHC coverage for another 6 months.
Hi BS,
You can extend your OSHC through your provider’s website or by contacting them directly. If you purchased your insurance through your university, you might want to contact your university for further assistance.
Regards,
James
Dear staff,
We would like to register our medical centre for providing service to overseas students with private insurance.
Please send information on how we can register.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Best Road Medical Centre
Hi there,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
Awesome! We appreciate your interest in being one of Finder’s partners in the business. Please check our Partner with us page, fill out the form located at the bottom with your information and click on “Get in touch” button. Once Finder receives it, our dedicated team will reach out to you and discuss the potential partnership.
Looking forward to doing business with you.
Cheers,
Joel
Would Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) cover laser surgical operations to correct vision impairments such as myopia and astigmatism?
Hi Marco,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
The answer depends on the OSHC provider that you choose Marco. However, generally, basic level student health insurance will cover the same out-of-hospital treatments that are covered by the Australian public health system. Among those would only include eye tests performed by optometrists and not surgical operations.
However, it would still be a good idea to check with your insurer. They may also discuss other options that may cover your needs.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
Thank you Joshua!