Explanatory Guidelines for OSHC Coverage

• byBudgetpolicy
• 2023-05-18

OSHC is health insurance to help international students and their dependents (if included in the application) cover the costs of unexpected medical and hospital treatments until their stay in Australia. OSHC usually covers emergency ambulance treatment and limited pharmaceutical items, the ones, which are medically prescribed.

International students applying for their student visa to Australia must buy adequate health insurance known as, Overseas Student Health Cover for their time in Australia.

The Government of Australia has announced that Overseas Student Health Cover or OSHC is mandatory to include in the visa application process. In case, international students do not have OSHC policy, they will not be eligible to apply for their student visa. Whereas, if international students are moving to Australia from Belgium, Norway, and Sweden, they are not required to buy OSHC policy.

What is OSHC Policy?

OSHC policy meets the hospital and medical expenses of international students when they get ill or injured during their stay in Australia.

Doctor visits, hospital treatments, emergency ambulance cover, and prescribed medications are some of the basic advantages of having overseas student health coverage in Australia.

Who needs to buy OSHC Policy?

OSHC policy is essential for international students and their dependents (if added to the visa application). It consists of the following coverages:

Single cover – applicable for student visa holders.

Couple cover – applicable for the student visa holder and a partner or de facto partner.

Family cover – applicable for the student visa holder, a partner, and dependent children below 18 years.

Who are the OSHC Policy Providers?

Numerous educational institutes in Australia are partners with OSHC policy providers. However, international students get no opportunity for comparing the policy with different providers. The reason is, all the partnered institutions are only associated with one policy provider.

However, that is not the case with Budget Policy. We are a third-party company partnered with the finest and the most popular health insurance providers in Australia. With quality services at an affordable price than the market one, we also let them compare the policies with different providers so that they get a better picture of what is good for them and what can be left behind.

Here is the list of multiple and the most famous OSHC policy providers across Australia:

• BUPA
• NIB
• Medibank
• Australian Health Management or AHM Health Insurance

What Happens If Someone Forgets to Renew Their Overseas Student Health Coverage Policy?

If for some reason, you forget to renew or want to extend your OSHC policy, you will have to bear all the medical expenses for the time you did not have the policy as you cannot claim the benefits during that time.

How to Renew or Extend OSHC Policy?

International students can renew or extend their OSHC policy through:

• Online
• Post
• Educational institutions

Is it Worth it to Change your OSHC Policy Provider?

Honestly speaking, there is no need of changing your overseas student health coverage provider. The reason is, some OSHC providers ask for transfer refunds. You might also fall into the wrong hands. Moreover, you will have to do the research all over again to find a better insurance provider. Now the question is, do you really want to do the hard work? Until and unless your current insurance provider does not make a blunder, you should not think of changing him.  It is better to know about the policy providers and the services they provide in the OSHC policy than buy the most suitable one.

What are the Requirements for a Student Visa?

Lastly, let us go quickly and go through the required documents for a student visa:

•                    Valid passport

•                    Proof of CoE (Confirmation of Enrollment)

•                    Offer letters from educational institutions

•                    Adequate health insurance (OSHC)

•                    Bank statement

•                    Academic certificates

•                    Evidence of English proficiency tests - PTE, IELTS, TOEFL, and so on.

•                    Genuine Temporary Entrant statement

Conclusion

The OSHC policy helps international students to live a stress-free and healthy life in Australia. All they need to remember is when their OSHC insurance is going to renew or whether they want to extend it or not to avail full benefits of it.

The rest you can leave on us, Budget Policy. Our experts will provide you with complete guidance and detailed information as per your requirement. Contact us today!