OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover)
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is health insurance for international students that helps to cover medical costs in Australia. It is a condition of your student visa that you maintain OSHC for the duration of your studies.
As an international student, your student visa requires you to have private health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia, as per the Australian Government policy. The Medicare Australia national health program does not cover you.
If you’re an international student, organising your overseas health cover is an important part of accepting your offer from Global Higher Education. At the time of acceptance, you would have been given the option of organising your cover through the GHE preferred provider, Bupa Success Overseas Student Health Cover, or through one of the Australian Government's approved providers.
What Is Overseas Student Health Cover?
Student visas are issued for full-time study. International students cannot study part-time. Students must provide evidence that they have sufficient funds to cover their tuition fees and living expenses whilst in Australia. Once enrolled, students must complete 6 calendar months of study of their course before they can change to another educational institution in Australia, unless special permission is obtained.
Suppose a student is not satisfying the course and/or visa requirements (including attending the course and making satisfactory academic progress). In that case, Global Higher Education by law must notify the relevant Commonwealth and State authorities, and the student visa may be cancelled.
Note: "International students are to complete their course within the duration specified on their confirmation of enrolment (COE)".
Who Is Eligible For OSHC?
People eligible for OSHC are students from overseas who are undertaking formal studies in Australia, and their family members (for example, spouses and children under 18 years old).
For OSHC, there are three categories of overseas students.
These are:
* Non-Australian residents with a current student visa,
* Students from New Zealand, or
* Expatriate Australian students who are ineligible for cover by Medicare.
Students in all three categories are eligible for, and must take out, OSHC.
Enrollment Status
It is a condition of enrollment that international students abide by the Australian student visa regulations. GlobalHE monitors student enrollments and visa status and will advise students if visa requirements are not being met.
The Student Services Department at GlobalHE must approve all international student enrollments in advance. Students amending their enrollments without this authority may have their enrollment cancelled or modified appropriately.
Why Are International Students Required To Maintain OSHC?
Hospital treatment in Australia can be expensive. The average cost for a bed in a public hospital in Australia is $240 per day. International students are not eligible for Medicare - the Australian government's public health insurance system. Without access to the safety net of Medicare, international students may have difficulty paying for medical treatment. As a result, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) was introduced to ensure international students have adequate healthcare arrangements during their stay in Australia. OSHC ensures international students can access appropriate healthcare without undue financial hardship. Additionally, the Department of Home Affairs requires all holders of a student visa to maintain OSHC.
Department of Home Affairs advises that international students who do not maintain their OSHC may have their visas cancelled.
GHE has entered into an agreement with BUPA as the preferred provider of OSHC to commencing international students. After the first 12 months of membership, students can transfer to another OSHC provider. It is now compulsory for all students to purchase visa visa-length OSHC as required by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Information about other registered OSHC providers is available on the Department of Health and Ageing website:
Department of Health [ Click here ]
It is a condition of your student visa that you always have valid health cover. It is your responsibility to renew your health cover when it expires. If you are covered by BUPA's OSHC, you can do this online or at any BUPA branch.
For information regarding BUPA's current rates for single and family cover, as well as general information about coverage and renewal, please refer to BUPA's website:
BUPA [ Click here ]
You are covered by BUPA OSHC from the date of your arrival in Australia, and your membership card will be available for collection when you enrol (or shortly thereafter).
If you want to apply BUPA OSHC or renew through GHE
Please contact the admissions department:
Contact number: +61 8 8104 1080
Email address: [email protected]
Please click here for the BUPA price list.