Important Insights on Choosing the Best OSHC for International Students in Australia

Australia witnesses a huge influx of international students every year. Students from every nook and corner of the world choose Australia to pursue their higher education, for the country provides state-of-the-art infrastructure, high-quality education and a number of work opportunities with a great lifestyle.

Australia requires every international student to abide by all the visa conditions during the entirety of their stay in the country, and one such mandatory condition is maintaining valid health insurance, i.e., Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). The OSHC is an insurance cover that provides international students access to healthcare services in Australia as and when required. As the Australian healthcare system has two constituents – the private health system and the public health system – the international students have to choose private healthcare services, as they are neither permanent residents nor citizens. On the other hand, Medicare, the public health system, is available to permanent residents and citizens of Australia.

The private healthcare system is available to international students, tourists, temporary residents, etc. The Overseas Student Health Cover is specifically meant for international students to help them cover their costs for health services. An OSHC holder can choose to be treated in a public or private hospital by the physician of their choice.

The Government of Australia has authorized certain insurance providers to sell OSHCs to international students. Some of the most renowned insurance providers are Bupa, NIB, Medibank and AHM. All the providers offer OSHCs compliant to all the conditions of subclass 500 visa.

Choose Right OSHC

Choosing the right OSHC can be quite a confusing task. Therefore, here are a few important insights that can help international students choose the best possible OSHC for themselves, whether single, couple or family.

• Check the OSHC for Compliance – Although all the providers offer OSHC that are all compliant with the student visa (subclass 500) conditions, students must check for compliance before purchasing the OSHC. In case the OSHC is non-compliant with the visa conditions, the student breaches the visa requirements and risks visa cancellation or deportation in certain scenarios.
• Check for Features – The OSHCs are priced based on the features they offer; therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the students to go through all the features and facilities they might need.
• Network of Hospitals – When choosing to buy OSHC, the student must consider the hospital network. The larger the network, the better it will be when it comes to availing the healthcare services.
• Ambulance Transportation – Emergency ambulance transportation will be an added advantage if one can get in their OSHC. Not all providers offer this facility, so the students must make sure they choose the OSHC that offers this facility.
• Dedicated Support – A dedicated support line is always helpful when it comes to claims. Additionally, a dedicated customer support line can also help in identifying the nearest hospital as and when required. A support line can also provide medical and accident assistance with trauma counseling.

Choosing the right OSHC policy can be quite a strenuous and confusing task, and this is where Budget Policy can come in handy. It is an OSHC-comparing website that helps users compare insurance policies, with their features and prices. The portal lists OSHCs and OVHCs from different providers and offers a discount of up to 48% on certain policies. To get the best deal on OSHC and OVHC, please feel free to visit Budget Policy.