About Overseas Student Health Cover

We're one of Australia's largest private health insurers, covering more than three million Australians. Our experienced staff and affordable prices make Medibank's Overseas Student Health Cover a leading choice for international students.

Medibank Overseas Student Health Cover at a glance

With Medibank's Overseas Student Health Cover you'll get:

• Cover if you need to go to hospital
• Cover if you need to visit a doctor or specialist
• Ambulance services
• Benefits for some of your prescription medicines
• 24/7 emergency advice and assistance
• Special offers and discounts
• Access to our online health and wellbeing program

Cover for hospital treatment

Medibank Overseas Student Health Cover helps with the cost of treatment in a private hospital or in a public hospital as a private patient. It also allows you to choose your own doctor and which hospital you'd prefer to attend.

What benefits are paid?

For the services included under Overseas Student Health Cover we'll pay benefits towards:

• Private hospital accommodation
  • Overnight admissions in a private or shared room
  • Same day admissions
  • Intensive care
  • Theatre fees
• Public hospital accommodation as a private patient
  • Overnight admissions (shared room only)
  • Same day admissions (shared room only)
  • Outpatient accidents and emergency department fees, including outpatient medical and post-operative services (fees raised by the hospital for treatment where you are not an admitted patient)
  • Theatre fees
• Surgically implanted prostheses and other items on the Federal Government's Prostheses Schedule

Members' Choice hospitals

Generally when you visit any hospital, there will be additional costs that you will not be covered for. We call these out-of-pocket expenses. However if you visit one of our Members' Choice private hospitals you can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

Our Members' Choice hospital network is one of the largest in Australia, covering more private hospitals than any other health fund.

Plus, at most Members' Choice hospitals you can expect to be covered for things that you wouldn't generally be covered for at a non Members' Choice hospital like in-hospital physiotherapy to aid your recovery, local phone calls, TV and newspapers.

What's covered?

Service:	Included:
Ambulance services (see below for more info)
Knee reconstruction surgery and investigations
Shoulder reconstruction surgery and investigations
Appendicitis treatment
Removal of tonsils and adenoids
Surgical removal of wisdom teeth
Psychiatric treatment
Rehabilitation treatment
Obstetrics and pregnancy-related services
Assisted reproductive services (eg. IVF)
Cosmetic surgery
All other in-hospital services recognised for Medicare benefit purposes

Waiting periods apply including:

• 12 months for obstetrics and pregnancy-related services
• 12 months for pre-existing conditions (excluding psychiatric treatment)

Services we pay benefits for
Services we don't pay benefits for.

Medical cover

What benefits are paid

The MBS fee is the amount declared by the Australian Government as the standard fee for most medical procedures.
The amount of benefit you can expect to receive from us is calculated as a percentage of the MBS fee.
If the doctor charges more than the benefits we pay, you will have to pay the additional costs.
The benefits you receive for medical services under Medibank Overseas Student Health Cover are:

	Service	Benefit
Medical services received out-of-hospital (eg: doctors' visits, pathology, medical services at a public hospital emergency department where you're not admitted):	General practitioners	100% of the MBS fee
	Specialists (including pathology & x-rays)	The published 85% MBS fee^
Medical services received when admitted to hospital:	Doctors & specialists (including pathology & x-rays)	100% of the MBS fee

^The published 85% MBS fee may not equal exactly 85% of the total MBS fee but an amount published in the MBS as set by the Australian Government.

See our Overseas Student Health Cover Product brochure and Overseas Student Health Cover Membership Guide for more details.

Prescription Medicines

We'll pay benefits of up to $50 for each prescription-only item (excluding oral contraceptives and medicines prescribed for cosmetic purposes).

Benefits are subject to the following calendar year limits:

• for a single membership - $300
• for a family membership - $600 (annual sub-limit of $300 per person).

You're required to pay a contribution towards the cost of each prescription item before we'll pay any benefits. You will also need to pay any charges (if any) above the benefits we pay.

We may cover the full cost of prescription medicines provided to an inpatient of a Members' Choice Hospital if those medicines are covered by our agreement with the hospital and are directly related to the reason for the hospital admission. In this case the limits listed above don't apply.

Ambulance services

What is covered?

Benefits are payable for the full cost of medically necessary ambulance services if, due to the nature of your medical condition, you could not have been transported by any other means.

Benefits are payable when the services are provided by an ambulance provider approved by Medibank Private, in the following circumstances:

• When you need to be transported in an ambulance to a hospital or other approved facility in order to receive immediate professional attention
• When, as an admitted patient, you are transferred to another hospital (excluding transfers between public hospital facilities)
• When an ambulance is called to attend to you, but having received immediate professional attention, transport by ambulance is not subsequently required
• Air ambulance where pre-approval has been obtained from Medibank.

What is not covered?

Benefits are not payable:

• Towards any ambulance costs that are fully covered by a third party arrangement such as an ambulance subscription scheme or a State/Territory ambulance transportation scheme (benefits may be payable, however, for any ambulance costs not fully covered by such schemes)
• When you are transferred by ambulance between public hospital facilities whilst an admitted patient
• For ambulance transfers once you have been discharged from hospital
• When you are transferred to another hospital for treatment at the request of the admitting hospital because they do not have the medical facilities available to treat you (the admitting hospital may pay for this service)

For more information call us on 132 331.

Waiting periods

All health funds have waiting periods. Basically, a waiting period is a period of time you need to wait after taking out your cover before you can receive benefits for services or items covered. Benefits are not generally payable for services or items obtained while you are serving a waiting period.

The following waiting periods apply:

• 12 months for obstetrics and pregnancy-related services
• 12 months for pre-existing conditions (excluding psychiatric treatment)

These waiting periods do not apply where the treating medical practitioner certifies and Medibank agrees that the member required emergency treatment.

What isn't covered?

Overseas Student Health Cover will not pay benefits for any of the following:

Public and Private Hospital:

• Assisted reproductive services, such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF);
• Cosmetic surgery;
• Any part of the accommodation charge raised by a public hospital that exceeds the benefit for a shared room, if you are accommodated in a single room at your request;
• The difference between the cost of a 'gap prostheses' included on the Federal Government's Prostheses Schedule and the benefit payable by Medibank Private;
• Any services or items in a Members' Choice Hospital that are not covered by our agreement with the hospital;
• The difference between the charges raised by a non Members' Choice Hospital and the benefit payable by Medibank Private;
• Any items provided to you on discharge from a hospital;
• Any ancillary services provided to you in hospital that are not related to the reason for your hospital stay;
• Outpatient charges (including accident and emergency department charges) raised by private hospitals;
• Surgically implanted prostheses and other items not included on the Federal Government's Prostheses Schedule;
• The cost of newspapers, TV hire and telephone calls, except as covered in some Members' Choice Hospitals.

Medical Services:

• Treatment not considered medically necessary – eg. health screening services and cosmetic surgery;
• Any difference between your doctor's charge and the benefit payable by Medibank Private;
• Any medical examinations, x-rays or pathology required by DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) as part of the student visa renewal process.

Prescription Medicines:

• Your prescription medicine co-payment for each prescription medicine;
• Costs in excess of the benefit payable for each prescription medicine;
• Costs in excess of the maximum annual benefit payable for prescription medicines, as shown above.
• Medicines other than prescription medicines;
• Medicines prescribed for cosmetic purposes;
• Oral contraceptives.

You will be responsible for paying any costs above the benefits that are payable. This means you may incur significant out-of-pocket expenses if high cost prescription medicines are required for a treatment.

Please see the Overseas Student Health Cover Membership Guide pages 12 - 15 for more information about general items you're not covered for.

Extras Cover

Extras cover isn't included in your Overseas Student Health Cover, but is available for an additional cost.

Medibank extras helps to cover the cost of everyday services like dental care if you get a toothache, physiotherapy for sporting injuries and optical items like prescription glasses and contact lenses.

For more information call 132 331, visit a Medibank store or click here

Useful Links

Government Organisations

• Department of Health and Ageing
• Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)
• Study in Australia: The official Australian Government website for international students

International Education Organisations

• Studylink
• Good Universities Guide