OSHC: student health cover explained, no fine print

If you study in Australia on a Student visa, you will hear the acronym OSHC a lot: Overseas Student Health Cover. It is health insurance for international students, and it is part of your visa, not an add on.

Why it is compulsory

Home Affairs requires you and the family members on your visa to have and keep adequate health insurance for your whole stay in Australia. For the Student visa, that insurance is OSHC from an approved Australian insurer.

If you buy OSHC yourself, you need the policy number for your visa application. If your education provider arranges it, the cover details appear on your CoE. Home Affairs warns that it may refuse the visa if this information is missing when you apply.

When it starts and when it ends

• If you apply from outside Australia, cover starts on the day you arrive, not the day your course starts. If you land early, your policy has to include those days. Do not enter the country before your OSHC begins.
• If you apply from inside, cover must be continuous: no gap between your previous policy and your new OSHC.
• Throughout your visa, you have to keep it current until you leave Australia. How long you need depends on your course and your visa period.

Single, Couple or Family

The type of policy depends on who comes with you:

• Single: just you.
• Couple: you and your partner.
• Family: you, your partner and your children.

If you hold a single policy and your family joins you later, or a child is born in Australia, you need to move to a family policy. Every family member on a dependent visa needs cover.

What it covers, in general

According to the government guide on privatehealth.gov.au, OSHC helps pay for medical and hospital care, includes ambulance cover and covers medicines to a limited extent. The minimum each policy must meet is set in an agreement between the government and the insurers.

Each insurer and each plan has its own conditions, waiting periods and limits. So before you choose, read the policy summary or ask us to walk you through it.

What it usually does not cover

• Extras: dental, optical and physio are not part of basic OSHC. If you want them, there are separate extras plans.
• Expensive medicines: pharmacy cover is limited, so some treatments can mean large out of pocket costs.
• Unpaid periods: if you fall behind on your policy, you may not be able to claim for care you received during that time.

Using it day to day

Once you have your policy, download your insurer's app or digital card and save your member number on your phone. Before booking an appointment, ask whether the doctor or clinic bills your insurer directly or whether you pay and claim later. Always keep invoices and receipts.

In an emergency, call 000. Ambulance is included in OSHC, subject to your policy conditions.

Exceptions

Home Affairs exempts some students from Norway, Sweden and Belgium who are covered by their own national schemes or agreements. For students from Latin America or Spain, OSHC is still compulsory.

Common mistakes

1. Starting the policy on the course start date instead of the arrival date.
2. Leaving a gap of a few days when renewing your visa from inside Australia.
3. Buying Single when a partner or children are coming too.
4. Not telling your insurer when your visa changes. Once you no longer hold a student visa, OSHC no longer applies and you need a different type of cover.
5. Choosing on price alone without looking at what the plan includes.

We help you get a quote

We work with several insurers that offer OSHC and help you compare based on your case: dates, length of cover and who is coming with you. Message us from OSHC health cover and we will help you with the options.