What is covered?
OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) helps you pay for:
Doctors
- Medical Practitioners (including specialists) who treat you in hospital, at home or at the doctor’s surgery;
- pathology services such as blood tests;
- x-rays.
Subject to their availability, you may choose any general practitioner (GP) you want. OSHC pays 100% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee. For Specialists and all other medical services that do not take place as an in-patient in a hospital, OSHC pays 85% of the MBS fee for that service and you pay the difference.
For medical services while you are an in-patient at a hospital, OSHC will pay 100% of the MBS fee. If the doctor or hospital charges more than the MBS fee you pay the difference.
Hospitals
There are two types of hospitals in Australia: public hospitals, operated by State/Territory Governments; and private hospitals, which operate on a commercial basis.
- Public hospitals
OSHC pays all hospital charges in a shared ward in any public hospital, including treatment by your doctor. The only amount you will have to pay is the difference (if any) between the OSHC benefit for medical treatment by your own doctor and the actual fees charged. OSHC will also cover all charges for outpatient medical treatment provided by a public hospital.
- Private hospitals
You may choose to be treated in a private hospital. Medibank Private has agreements with most private hospitals in Australia. For details of these hospitals, go to Members’ Choice Hospitals. If you choose a Members’ Choice Hospital, Medibank Private will meet the full cost of charges raised by the hospital except:
- any difference between your doctor’s charges and the MBS fee.
- any prescribed medicines not covered by the hospital agreement (or in excess of applicable limits).
- discharge items and ancillary services not related to the reason for your hospital admission.
- charges for ancillary services not covered by our agreements.
- outpatient fees.
- surgically implanted prostheses and other items on the Australian Government Prostheses Schedule which have a gap or those which are not on the Schedule.
In a non Members’ Choice Hospital, charges may be more than the benefit paid by OSHC. You will be responsible for paying the difference between the OSHC benefit and the hospital charge.
Emergency Ambulance Transport
OSHC pays 100% of the charge for medically necessary ambulance transport when medical attention is required immediately. There are no benefits for routine ambulance journeys (even if offered to the member).
Prescribed medicines
OSHC provides benefits for most prescription medicines, except for oral contraceptives (such as the “pill”). You are required to pay $28.60 (current pharmaceutical benefits scheme patient contribution for general beneficiaries) towards the cost of each prescription item. Medibank Private will pay a maximum benefit of up to $50 per prescription item. An annual limit of $300 per calendar year per person and $600 per calendar year per family membership (with a $300 limit per person covered by the family membership) applies. Please note that if several different items are included on the same prescription, each item will count as a separate claim. Medicines prescribed when you are a hospital out patient can be claimed up to the annual limit available for prescribed medicines.
Get a Quote
Other Joining options
Call us on:
132 331 within Australia
+61 3 8622 5780 outside Australia
8am - 8pm Monday to Friday or
8am - 4pm on Saturday,
Australian Eastern Standard Time