If you are an international student in Australia, it is a compulsion to purchase Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) to maintain the health insurance for as long as your stay.  An individual will need OSHC before applying for Australian Student visas.

What services does OSHC cover?

OSHC covers for visitation to the doctor, hospital, emergency ambulance, prescripted medicine, private hospitals, and day surgeries.

General medical treatments like dental, optical, physiotherapy are not covered by OSHC. For these, you can take Extras OSHC which is provided by an OSHC provider or Australian private health insurer.

Does OSHC cover for COVID- 19?

Yes, COVID-19 is also covered by OSHC. The clinical categories like ‘Lung and Chest’, ‘Dialysis for chronic kidney failure’, illness related to COVID-19 is taken care.

International students should contact their private insurer about accessible alternatives of COVID -19 and OSHC.

For more see Department of Health.

Who offers OSHC?

Only a few numbers of health insurers offer OSHC that are:

Ahm Health Insurance

Bupa

Medibank

Nib

Allianz Global Assistance

CBHS International Health

These health insurers are under Deed of Agreement with the Department of Health for the international students to cover the insurance at an affordable cost.

During your stay, if your visa status or Medicare qualification changes, contact your provider to see if your coverage amount is reasonable or not. You are no longer entitled to keep an OSHC when your student visa expires.

OVHC (Overseas Visitor Health Cover)

This is the health insurance provided to visitors and temporary workers to access health care on your budget. You should also purchase this before applying for the visa.

We provide both kinds of health cover services for all types of visas from the following health insurance providers.

NIB and IMAN

Allianz Global

BUPA

Medibank

AHM

If you need more information about OSHC and OVHC in Australia, you can visit the official Department of Health. They can help you with your enquiries.

Visit our website for any kind of visa services about Australia. You can also, contact us at +61 2 8056 7110 or email us at info@yespeople.com.au.