188 Visa Health Insurance

OVHC visa requirement is a basic yet essential requirement for all visitors visiting Australia. You need to buy it before applying for your visitor’s visa and ensure you have it with you until your stay in the country.

Overseas Visitor Health Cover popularly known as OVHC, helps you cover your hospital and medical bills which may occur during your visit in Australia.

If you have bought the single policy, your family or dependents will not be covered. However, to include them in the policy, you need to buy an OVHC policy that covers family members, de-facto partners, and any child or stepchild who is unmarried and is below 18 years.

Direct billing is when your GP charges MBS Fee on visiting him. Many doctors or GPs have links with OVHC providers to bill directly for the full MBS Fee. Here, you do not have to pay any amount, rather the fees will be entirely covered under your policy at that moment.

OVHC benefits are many, including coverage of your dependents or family members with a pre-existing condition, signs and symptoms of the illness or condition existing within 6 months before your or your dependent’s or a family member’s arrival in Australia on a visitor’s visa. However, for pre- existing medical conditions, pregnancy-related services, and childbirth, you will have to wait for 12 months, i.e., if you happen to be in any of these situations at the time of your waiting period, you will not be covered for those 12 months. For a pre-existing condition of a psychiatric nature, you will have to wait for 2 months.

There is OVHC coverage limits for medical treatments like dental services, prescription glasses, physiotherapy, and chiropractic. If you want these medical treatments to be covered, you will need to buy an extra cover or a specific plan, which already includes such benefits

It is essential to maintain your OVHC Australia policies well. This means that, if your health insurance is missing or you do not have it at the time of need, you will be in breach of your visa conditions. Therefore, it is essential to keep it secure with you and check its renewal time if applicable.