OSHC or Overseas Student Health Cover is an insurance designed to only cater those students who are moving to Australia for their higher studies. The OSHC cover helps international students in taking care of their healthcare needs during their stay in Australia.

The OSHC health insurance policy for international students in Australia covers medical expenses of –

Doctor’s appointments.

Staying in the hospital.

Emergency ambulance services.

Prescribed medicines.

The Government of Australia has made it compulsory for all international students to buy OSHC. Therefore, you must include it with your visa before your arrival in Australia.

However, you cannot claim the benefits of your overseas health insurance policy right after medical treatment or service is taken. You need to wait a certain period to claim your policy.

This means, before claiming the benefits of your respective health insurance policy, you must wait for a period, which is known as a waiting period. The following blog will highlight few essential things about waiting periods that you must know if moving to Australia for studies.

What are Waiting Periods?

Before we move further, let us first define the term waiting period. The waiting period is the time between the purchase of your health insurance policy - OSHC and its maturity to avail of its benefits. In other words, the time gap between your purchasing and claiming period is known as a waiting period.

You cannot claim any benefits during your waiting period. In fact, waiting periods are different for different medical concerns. This, in turn, means that if you are availing of any medical services before your waiting period ends, the cost of your treatment will be bear by you. Therefore, carefully read your OSHC policy and discuss the waiting period with your health insurance provider.

What are Waiting Periods for OSHC?

Different OSHC health insurance have different waiting periods. Read to know each of them in brief.

Standard Cover

There is no waiting period upon your visit to a general practitioner, psychiatrist, or any emergency treatment.

During your pregnancy or birth-related services, you will have to wait for 12 months.

Similarly, you will have to wait for 12 months if you have any pre-existing medical condition before your arrival in Australia.

Essentials Cover

There is no waiting period with premium covers upon your visit to a general practitioner, or psychiatrist, or availing pregnancy-related treatment.

However, you have to wait for 12 months to claim your OSHC policy in case of any pre-existing medical conditions.

When does Waiting Period usually begin?

The waiting period usually commence from:

The date you (or your dependent) arrive in Australia or,

The date you got your visa

Who are the OSHC Policy Providers?

Many educational institutions and universities in Australia are associated with OSHC providers; however, international students cannot see the prices of all of them at one place. The reason being, universities will only tie up with a single provider than many.

Whereas, Budget Policy is a third-party company associated with the most popular and leading health insurance providers in Australia. They offer the best services to their clients at modest prices compared to the market price.

There are different OSHC health insurance providers across Australia, which are known to be the most preferred and best providers. Budget Policy is associated with some of them such as:

NIB
BUPA
Medibank
Australian Health Management Insurance

How much does OSHC cost?

The cost of your overseas student health cover entirely depends on the type of health insurance you want to buy. For example, if you need a generic cover for your health, you can buy a basic plan. In turn, you will have to pay less than other plans’ costs. Usually, we say that premium plans are high in cost as compared to a basic plan.