Overseas student health cover
It is an important requirement of your student visa that you have adequate health cover while you are studying in Australia. This web page provides answers to questions that International Students often ask about health cover. It also provides you with other sources of information about health cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why must I have health cover?
- Who provides it?
- When and where do I pay?
- What is visa length cover (VLC)?
- What if I already have health cover?
- When and where do I renew my health cover?
- What do I need to do if my policy has lapsed?
- How do I obtain my OSHC card?
- How do I make a claim?
- What is direct billing?
- What if I get sick before my card arrives?
- What if I have a pre-existing condition?
- What services do I get for my money?
- What is holiday credit?
- What if my home country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the Australian government?
- What if I complete my program early?
- What health cover is available if I have applied for a permanent residency visa?
- How do I locate a Obstetrician or Gynaecologist who speaks a language other than English?
- Do I have to have OSHC with the University's preferred OSHC provider?
- What other insurance companies offer OSHC?
- Things to keep in mind
- How can I find out more?
Why must I have health cover?
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship requires all international students on student visas and their families (on ‘dependent’ visas) to pay for health insurance during their stay in Australia. This insurance is called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
Department of Immigration and Citizenship website
Who provides it?
Overseas Student Health Cover is provided by a number of different health care agencies. OSHC Worldcare is currently the University’s preferred provider.
The Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing introduced changes to the requirements that govern all Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). As a result, some of the terms and conditions associated with your OSHC Worldcare policy will change. These policy changes take effect from 20 September 2011. If you have any questions, please contact the OSHC Worldcare Member Services team on 13 OSHC (13 6742).
OSHC Worldcare website: www.oshcworldcare.com.au
Students are not obliged to purchase OSHC from OSHC Worldcare. For information about other OSHC providers please refer to the Department of Health and Ageing website - OSHC FAQs.
When and where do I pay?
If you are a full-fee paying overseas student (FPOS), the fees that you pay to the University through UniSA International includes an additional charge for an OSHC payment.
For further information contact UniSA International, 101 Currie St, Adelaide. Telephone: 8302 0114 or email.
What is visa length cover (VLC)?
Visa length cover is OSHC that covers you for the duration of your student visa in Australia. By having VLC, you will not have to renew your OSHC each year. VLC will also ensure that you maintain the OSHC requirements of your student visa.
OSHC Worldcare offer discounts for visa length cover for all policies over 12 months duration. As an OSHC Woldcare member, you will be protected from future OSHC premium increases and ultimately you will pay less for OSHC for the whole of your program of study.
What if I already have health cover?
If you already have health cover from previous study in Australia, you need to advise staff at the Learning and Teaching Unit on any campus.
For further information contact
the Learning
and Teaching Unit on your home campus.
Email:
ltu@unisa.edu.au
When and where do I renew my health cover?
When you need to renew your health cover, you can go to Campus Central on any campus and make a payment to renew your Overseas Student Health Cover.
Once your payment has been processed you will receive an email from OSHC Worldcare, the University's preferred provider, with instructions on how to go online and order your OSHC card.
Please note that Campus Central will only take payments for the University's preferred provider - OSHC Worldcare. If you wish to purchase health cover with another provider you will need to contact them directly yourself.
Please remember: It is your responsibility to renew your health cover before the expiry date shown on your OSHC card.
What do I need to do if my policy has lapsed?
It is an Australian Government requirement that you maintain overseas student health cover throughout the duration of your stay in Australia under a student visa. If your OSHC policy has expired you must make a renewal payment to cover the lapsed period. For example, if your OSHC expiry date was 14 Feb 2010 and, on 10 Feb 2011, you want to renew for another 6 months you will have to pay 18 months OSHC. This includes 12 months back pay plus 6 months renewal. You will not be required to re-serve waiting periods to receive future benefits but will be liable for any medical costs incurred during the period of lapsed cover.
How do I obtain my OSHC card?
If you are a new student, you will have paid for your OSHC as part of the acceptance of your offer of admission to the University. You will receive an email from OSHC Worldcare, the University's preferred provider, with instructions on how to go online and order your OSHC card.
If you have arranged your OSHC with another insurance provider, you must contact your provider directly for information regarding your membership.
How do I make a claim?
You need to take your OSHC card with you whenever you see a doctor. The doctor may ask you to pay for the full cost of the visit. If this happens, you should ensure that you keep the doctor’s receipt.
There are three ways to make a claim for a refund from OSHC Worldcare. You can either:
- Visit the OSHC Worldcare cash claim service available on each campus, whereby individual claims up to $105.00 can be redeemed for cash.
- Fill out the claim form on the OSHC Worldcare website; or
- Come into any Learning and Teaching Unit office and manually complete a hard copy claim form. For further details please visit OSHC Worldcare online.
Sales and Enquires: 13 14 84
OSHC Worldcare claims hotline: 1800 651 349 (free call)
What is direct billing?
Direct billing is an arrangement between a health insurance provider and a doctor (or other medical facility), where the doctor sends bills for services directly to your health insurance company. This means that you do not have to put in a separate claim with your insurance company.
For a list of clinics who are direct billing go to OSHC Worldcare.
Learning and Teaching Unit email: ltu@unisa.edu.au
What if I get sick before my card arrives?
If you need to see a doctor before you receive your card, you will still be covered. Your health cover is valid from the date you arrive in Australia. If this happens, you will need to pay the doctor, keep your receipt and claim a refund once you receive your card.
What if I have a pre-existing condition?
There is a 12 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions. OSHC benefits are not payable in the first 12 months after arrival in Australia where the treatment is for a medical condition in existence prior to that arrival . Please consult your policy document or OSHC Worldcare for further details.
What services do I get for my money?
Overseas Student Health Cover Worldcare provides for basic medical treatment at public hospitals and for part of the treatment at private hospitals. It will cover you for 100% of the Australian Government's recommended fee for doctor’s visits as well as a 24 hour emergency telephone assistance service.
There are some limitations to the coverage. For more details, consult the OSHC Worldcare Policy document which you will have received with your OSHC card.
OSHC Worldcare 24 hour telephone assistance number: 1800 814 781
What is holiday credit?
If you are a Worldcare member and you will be leaving Australia for a period of one month (30 days) or greater you can apply for an extension to your OSHC card expiry date. Within one month (30days) of your return to Adelaide take your passport, boarding passes or travel ticket to the OSHC Wordcare representative on your home campus. Your departure and arrival dates will then be confirmed and forwarded to OSHC Worldcare Administration.
Your policy will be extended for the period that you are out of Australia. A new OSHC card with an updated expiry date will be issued to your current home address.
You must have current valid membership to be eligible for this extension.
For further information please see the list of OSHC Worldcare Fact Sheets - Holiday Credit.
What if my home country government has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the Australian government?
If you are in Australia on a student visa from the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium or Italy you are covered by Medicare. Students from Norway, Finland and Malta are not covered by the agreements with those countries.
For further information, please visit the Medicare Australia website.
Note: It is a condition of your student visa that all students take out Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
What if I complete my program early?
If you complete your program of study early, please be aware that UniSA has a legal obligation to notify the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of your completion date. From your completion date, you will then have 28 days to either leave the country or change your visa type. As Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is linked to your student visa you will need to cancel your OSHC and take out another form of health cover, visit the Australian Unity website or call 132 939.
You may also visit the iSelect website to compare and choose an alternative form of health cover.
What health cover is available if I have applied for a permanent residency visa?
Students who have applied for a permanent resident visa may be eligible for health cover with Medicare.
For further information please visit any Medicare office or the Medicare website.
How do I locate an Obstetrician or Gynaecologist who speaks a language other than English?
You can locate an Obstetrician or Gynaecologist who is fluent in a language other than
English by visiting the
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
website. From this same website you can search for an Obstetrician or
Gynaecologist by
Suburb/Town and State of Australia.
Do I have to have OSHC with the University's preferred OSHC provider?
No. The University of South Australia's preferred OSHC provider is OSHC Worldcare. However, you can choose to take out cover with any Australian Government approved OSHC provider.
If you want to change from one health insurance company to another, please be aware that you must first pay for the new policy, and show proof of payment to your previous insurance company, before you can cancel your old policy and receive a refund for the remaining portion.
What other insurance companies offer OSHC?
A list of all OSHC providers is available on the Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing website.
Things to keep in mind
Please Note:
- You must keep your address details current at all times. The most common cause of cards not arriving is due to incorrect address details. If you change your address you must inform OSHC Worldcare as well as the University. You can notify OSHC Worldcare via email or by changing your address details online.
- OSHC Worldcare is not the same as Medicare, which is the public health care provider for Australian citizens.
- It is your responsibility to renew your health cover before the expiry date shown on your OSHC card.
How can I find out more?
You can watch an 8 minute OSHC Information Video available from the OSHC Worldcare website that contains important information about the Australian health care system and how overseas students can gain access to it.
This video also details the insurance requirements in relation to your visa.
Contact Healthdirect Australia on 1800 022 222. This is a FREE 24-hour telephone health advice line. Calls are answered by Registered Nurses who can provide expert health advice about any health issue and what you can do next. This phone service is useful for general health information and for directing you to local health services.