Australia Health Insurance International Student - OSHC
Australia Health Insurance for International Student - OSHC
Australia has a special system of health cover for international students called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).The Australian government requires international students to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and maintain their cover for the duration of their studies in Australia.
OSHC funds include :
- Medibank Private
- Teachers Union Health Fund Limited
- BUPA OSHC
- Australian Health Management Group
Your local AA network counsellor can help you to arrange OSHC upon request.
Premiums vary, depending on the length of stay in Australia, but generally are appr. A$360 A$/year. Application forms for OSHC are available from registered providers and most educational institutions.
People who visit Australia on non-student visas and undertake short-term study programs of less than three months duration are not eligible for OSHC.
OSHC - Overseas Student Health Cover
As earlier stated, OSHC is compulsory for you to obtain your student visa in Australia. However, this does not cover you for loss of baggage, theft, cancelled flights etc. To be covered for this it is advised that you seek your own insurance. Also, if you are renting a house you may want house and contents insurance and if you decide to buy a car you it is also compulsory to get third party insurance, this varies between the states.
Overseas Student Health Cover is offered by four health insurers other than OSHC Worldcare. Your education institute may be partnered with one of these, so check with your institution first.
Although OSHC will cover you for most medical needs, ambulance and some prescribed medicines, you will still need to pay about 15% of the cost. Dental, physiotherapy and optical are not included, if these are required then you will need to take out private health insurance.
Before you come to Australia you will need to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), it is a requirement on your visa and has to be adhered too during your time in Australia and has to be maintained at all times during your course of study. The upside to this is that while you are here you will have access to medical facilities that liaison with your insurance provider and ambulance transportation and some pharmaceuticals.
The only overseas students who don?t need to have OSHC while they are in Australia are students from Norway who are covered by their country?s government insurance plan and Swedish students covered by CSN International.
Everyone else has no choice in the matter.
So the first key to staying healthy in Australia is making sure you have adequate OSHC for emergencies and other possibilities that may arise. You and your dependents under the age of 18 are eligible for OSHC coverage if you are committing to full time study in Australia.
And the requirements for any person seeking to get OSHC are:
They are a holder of a student visa
Or
Is an applicant for an Australian student visa / the holder of a bridging visa / or before being granted a bridging visa was the holder of a student visa.
OSHC can be paid through you educational institution or payed directly on-line to the provider via the web and costs on average about $340 a year.
OSHC covers the following situations, but does not cover high priced pharmaceuticals, and other treatments and services not covered by your provider.
OSHC covers:
The benefit amount as reported in the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) for out of hospital medical services like a general practitioner / 100% of the MBS fee for in-patient medical services like surgery / Public hospital wards / Private hospitals that have a contractual relationship with your provider / Day surgery accommodation / Some prosthetics / Ambulance services and limited pharmaceuticals.
What is important to know
As an international student you will already have an overseas student health cover (OSHC) insurance, especially since is mandatory and this guide already discuss that is something you need and if you have the documents and all the questions answered before you arrive to Australia the better. But you might want to invest in other insure to protect you.
Travel insurance will offer protection if your airlines gets canceled, lose your luggage of are injured on your trip.
Contents insurance will cover your valuable items in your home, television, game consoles and furniture.
Third party car insurance is mandatory, if you own a car or motorbike you insure it against damage that you might cause to other cars.
Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car that might occur from another vehicle. The Australian government was the source and they can help you find out more about these insurance.
If you have not traveled much, these insurances can be all new to you and the more you know the better ultimately it is for you.
Tips to maintain good health
- Try yoga or breathing exercises o help you manage stress.
- Try exercising 30 minutes, five times a week. You could walk, swim, cycle, jog or play a sport.
- Get regular and quality sleep 7-8 hours per night. This is especially important because without a quality rest every night, you will lose energy, become irritable or sad, suppress your immune system and find it difficult to concentrate on your studies. Good sleep will boost your mood so you can have greater energy to concentrate on your studies so you feel better.
- Also, to improve your sleep quality, try relaxing with a herbal tea at night before you go to bed. Allow yourself some time, i.e. 30 minutes, before you get into bed to relax.
- Do some stretches or exercise in the morning in the fresh air.
- Eat foods like pasta at night to help you sleep.
- Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes for a few hours before going to bed.
- Speak to a doctor or counselor if you have frequent sleeping problems.
- Eat well. Food is like medicine so eat fresh vegetables and fruit daily. Try to avoid fatty fast food take-ways on most occasions.
- Eat a protein-packed breakfast. It will kick-start your metabolism for the day and gives you energy.
- Drink at least 1-2 liters of water throughout the day. Dehydration can make you tired, induce headaches or prevent your concentration (and other health issues).
- If you are vegetarian, plan your meal sensibly so you are getting enough essential nutrients including omega 3, B12 (and other B group vitamins), zinc and iron in your diet. Talk to a GP or nutritionist about a good meal plan.
- Enjoy small amounts of chips, chocolate, biscuits and soft drink or soda etc in moderation.
