Health cover

Overseas Students Health cover

Health insurance is compulsory for overseas students studying in Australia. It is a requirement under the Student Visa conditions, that you must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of students courses. Medibank Private is Australia's largest private health insurer and has provided Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for students like you since 1989.

What do you need to know about OSHC?
It is a condition of your student visa that you have private health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia, as you are not covered by Australia's national health program, Medicare.

As an International student studying in Australia on a student visa, you must purchase an approved OSHC policy from a registered health fund before you come to Australia, to cover you from when you arrive. You will also need to maintain OSHC throughout your stay in Australia.

OSHC will help you pay for medical and hospital care while studying in Australia and will contribute towards the cost of most prescription medicines and emergency ambulance transport.

For how long do I have to have cover? The minimum period of cover is 12 months, or the duration of the student visa, whichever is shorter.

The maximum period of cover is the length of the overseas student's student visa. You have the choice of selecting a length of cover greater than the minimum and less than the maximum periods of cover. If you have an OSHC policy that expires before the expiration of your student visa, or if you extend the length of your student visa, you must renew your OSHC policy while you remain in Australia.

How do I pay for treatment?
When you receive a bill for medical treatment, there are generally two choices. You can pay the bill, then get a refund from your health fund, or the unpaid account can be given directly to your health fund. For pharmaceutical claims, you need to pay the chemist first, then claim back from your health fund.

Hospital bills are normally sent direct to health funds for payment. However, arrangements for payment of treatment expenses will vary between health funds. You should contact your health fund for further information.

How much does overseas health cover cost?
For more information on the cost please visit Medibank Private

What does overseas student health cover cover?
OSHC provides a safety net for international students, similar to that provided to Australians through Medicare. Additionally, OSHC includes access to some private hospitals and day surgeries, ambulance cover and benefits for pharmaceuticals.

OSHC includes cover for:

  • the benefit amount as listed in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for outof-
  • 100 per cent of the MBS fee for in-patient medical services (for example, surgery);
  • public hospital shared ward accommodation;
  • private hospital shared ward accommodation (for hospitals that have contractual arrangements with the overseas student's health fund);
    • day surgery accommodation;
  • no gap prostheses and gap permitted prostheses as listed in the Determination made under subsection 73AAG(6) and (7) of the National Health Act 1953;
  • limited pharmaceuticals; and
    • ambulance services