Health Insurance for International Students in Australia
Every international student in Australia with a student visa is required to have adequate health insurance. An example of health insurance is the Overseas Student Health Cover, which was created to help international students with their medical needs while studying in Australia. If you've made the decision to study in Australia, OSHC is a requirement for your visa application, and you should uphold the OSHC policy the entire time you're there.
Your student visa requires that you maintain continuous OSHC for the whole period of your stay in Australia. The majority of Australians are insured by Medicare, the country's national health insurance program, which contributes significantly to the expenses of healthcare services. While OSHC enables international students to obtain healthcare without facing financial hardship, Medicare does not provide coverage for overseas students.
The Australian public health system, Medicare, is inaccessible to international students. Students may incur significant out-of-pocket costs if there are no free or heavily discounted health care facilities. In Australia, hospital care often costs more than 1,000 AUD per day.
The same hospital procedures that Australia's public health system covers
- Accommodations in a hospital ward that is shared in a private setting
- A few artificial limbs
- Ambulance services on call
- The same non-hospital care that the Australian public health system covers
- Surgical day accommodations
- Pharmaceuticals (limited to $300 per year for a single membership and $50 per pharmaceutical item per pharmaceutical item)
Type of Insurance
The Australian Government Department of Health has approved the following health funds to offer OSHC:
Cost of the Insurance
Depending on the type of protection needed, OSHC costs vary. The cheapest minimal cover is $478 for a single policy for a year, $2,600 for a couple's policy, and $4,200 for a family policy (as of September 2021). Your educational institution can arrange your OSHC for you, or you can buy it online via the OSHC provider's website. You have the option of enrolling in OSHC with the provider that is suggested by your university or with a different provider.
Before purchasing coverage, you should consult with the various OSHC providers to be sure the level of protection you have selected satisfies your requirements. To make sure you get the most benefits at the cheapest price, you might want to examine the policies offered by various OSHC providers. Use Finder to compare the features of various plans from particular suppliers.
How to apply?
Your education provider may arrange OSHC on your behalf, or you may choose your own OSHC-approved provider and pay for the insurance yourself. It's crucial that you keep continuous coverage for the duration of your visit to Australia, whoever purchases it. This is particularly true for students who are enrolled in classes at two distinct schools, each of which arranges their own insurance.
Eligibility
International students who need assistance paying for medical care and services, including emergencies, can turn to OSHC. Students won't have to worry about mounting medical expenses if they study abroad in Australia.
Benefits of the health insurance
Basic OSHC includes access to private hospitals and day surgeries as well as doctor visits, certain hospital care, limited medications, ambulance coverage, and some prosthetic devices. Basic OSHC does not cover dental, optical, or physiotherapy services, but some OSHC providers do offer these services as "extras" as part of more complete OSHC coverage . OSHC – Overseas Student Health Cover