OSHC - FAQs
Overseas Student Health Cover is the type of Insurance that students need to have when they
are travelling to Australia as a part of their visa requirement. This is needed for the
entire stay in Australia. This cover enables you to avail medical facilities, hospitals and
healthcare services in case of need.
Students travelling to Australia on a student Visa for study purposes are eligible for OSHC.
Bridging visa holders and someone who has previously held a student visa right before
getting a bridging visa are also eligible for OSHC.
A Spouse or a de facto partner or child/step child(younger than 18 years) can be covered as
long as the policy applies to family plan i.e. muti-family or dual-family. If a person is
not dependent as per the policy, then they will have to seek other options to get have an
Insurance.
The length of the OSHC is the same as that of the student Visa. OSHC is
basically needed for the entire length of the stay in Australia. In case there is any
extension to the Visa, the Insurance cover needs to be renewed as well.
Yes, you can do this anytime through the Department of Health. You will
have to notify the Department of home affairs and the current policy provider by submitting
a valid proof. The current policy provider may charge a refund processing fee for the refund
that you are entitled to.
You may contact the insurance provider and check the procedure of making
a claim with them.
If you are arriving in Australia as a student on a student visa, some
institutes will already have this arranged for you. Once you have the card, the expiry will
be mentioned on the card.
Renewing will be necessarily required when it expires while you are still
on a student visa. Failing to do so will result in major serious consequences. There are
3
ways in which you can do the renewal:
In case you forget to renew your cover or fail to pay for any reason, you
will have to pay the premiums for the lapsed period expecting not to avail any benefits of
any claims you might have during that period.
The Insurance is needed for your entire length of stay in Australia.
Children who are under 18 years can be covered under OSHC. All children
who are 18 years or older need to be covered separately.
If you are both on an independent student visa, then you can both opt for
two separate single Insurance policies. If you are a dependent on someone else’s student
visa, you will have to buy the couple policy. The Insurance providers charge much more for a
couple policy in comparison to two single policies because they anticipate more claims for
couples than two singles.
Some Visas may have a condition 8501 where it is required for one to have
the health cover. Apart from that, visitors from overseas are not eligible for Medicare
hence they have to have Health insurance to be used in case of any unfortunate health crisis
during their stay in Australia. Medicare is for only citizens and permanent residents and
partner visa holders. Health Insurance covers all expenses related to: Medical treatments in
hospitals, regular expenses including consultations and treatments and ambulance transport.
Pre-existing Ailment is a medical condition that started or showed its
symptoms during a six-month period either before you arrived in Australia or you were
granted a visa-whichever happens first. Normally the decision on whether it is a
pre-existing ailment or not is determined by a practising doctor or any medical
practitioner.
Waiting Period is the period that one has to wait before making a claim.
The waiting period starts when you either arrive in Australia or when you are granted your
visa, which happens later.
Inpatient Care is when a patient is required to be admitted in a hospital
even after the treatment for observation during their Recovery. Outpatient Care is when a
patient is treated in a hospital without having to be admitted. The difference lies in the
admission.
Hospital Cover is inclusive of the Inpatient treatment that requires the
patient to be admitted in the hospital whereas extra cover includes all treatments done
outside the hospital such as consultations from specialists, dentistry or physiotherapy.
You must know whether you are covered for that particular treatment or
not. Whether there are any additional costs. Ensure you are not in the waiting period. The
hospital should be listed under the contractors.
Yes, you can however if you want to switch to a higher or lower level of
cover or choose a policy that has lower co-payments or fees gap you have to serve the
waiting period before making a claim.
You will have to notify the insurer immediately in order to get an appropriate form of
cover.
You are eligible to apply for a Medicare Card as part of the Australian public health
system.
This will result in failure in compliance with the 8501 condition on the visa. Your Visa
shall get cancelled thereof. Moreover, your future visa applications are bound to have a
negative impact if you choose to cancel your policy in the middle.
OVHC - FAQs
Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) is a type of health insurance designed for visitors to Australia who do not have access to the public Medicare system in Australia for medical or hospital expenses.
Obtaining adequate health insurance is a requirement for a variety of work and visitor visas. Some visa subclasses require applicants to purchase and provide proof of acceptable OVHC when applying for their visa, and to maintain coverage for the duration of their stay in Australia.
Once you've applied for overseas visitor insurance, you'll receive an email with your health insurance visa letter to support your visa application. When purchasing a health insurance policy, please make sure to include a valid email address.
Various payment alternatives may be available depending on the insurance provider you select. Depending on the provider, the options may include Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, and Yearly.
Yes. The OVHC purchased from Konpare will meet 8501 condition.
If you are already a member, you can upgrade your current policy to the one that provides higher level of benefits. You must serve the applicable waiting periods for any benefits not covered by your current policy.
To cancel your OVHC policy, simply contact your provider and provide the necessary documentation. When you cancel your OVHC membership, you will not be charged for the Next premium.
Remember that if you do not notify the provider, the charges will be deducted automatically until you do.
If your visa is changed or refused, you must provide valid proof of the new visa subclass or visa refusal, and you may request a refund of the premium paid.