OSHCstudents – The Australian Government requires that you have continuous OSHC for the entire length of your stay in Australia unless an exception applies. So when you purchase OSHC, you will need to pay your policy premium upfront to cover you for the length of the student visa you are applying for.
If you hold a secondary student visa, you must be insured under the same policy as the primary student visa holder. You are only eligible to hold a single OSHC policy if you are the primary visa holder.
When you owned OSHC, things you should know:
OSHC don’t pay for
- Any costs or services associated with dental treatment, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths or any other ancillary services, unless the services provided meet the requirements of the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
- Medications, drugs or other treatments not prescribed by a doctor and not included in the PBS
- Optical charges
- The co-payment payable by you or as a result of the provider charging in excess of the Medicare Benefits Schedule Fee
- Service fees charged by a doctor or hospital which are not included in the benefits covered under your policy.
Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) explained
The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) is a list of medical services (e.g. a standard consultation with a GP or surgery in hospital) subsidised by the Australian Government with a fee (known as a ‘Schedule fee’) payable for each item.
The Schedule fee is the amount the government considers appropriate for one of these services and determines the amount that Australians receive when they claim a medical service through Medicare.
Visit the Department of Health website for more information.
What are the waiting periods?
A waiting period is the time you need to wait before a benefit is available. Some costs, such as medical expenses relating to a pre-existing condition, are not covered during your waiting period. You can claim for benefits available on your policy for expenses incurred after the waiting period has ended.
The waiting periods will differ depending on which OSHC policy you have purchased.
- 2 month waiting period for pre-existing psychiatric-related medical conditions
- 12 month waiting period for all pregnancy related conditions
- 12 month waiting period for all other pre-existing medical conditions
The waiting period is calculated from:
- the date you or your dependant arrived in Australia; or
- the date your Student Visa was granted,
whichever is the later date.
You are international students, foreigners arrive to Australia and Australian citizens traveling abroad are looking at OSHC, OVHC, travel insurance, please contact OSHCstudents Team at email: info@oshcstudents.com and our partners for further information and assistance.
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