About Basic Visitors Cover
Basic Visitors Cover addresses two key areas of health care, hospital and medical cover. Basic Visitors Cover has proved to be attractive for students on bridging visas waiting for permanent residency and young, healthy, budget conscious visitors.
Hospital cover
What's covered?
Included services:
- Injuries sustained in an accident
- Knee reconstruction surgery and investigations
- Shoulder reconstruction surgery and investigations
- Surgical extraction of wisdom teeth
- Treatment of appendicitis
- Removal of tonsils and/or adenoids.
For the included services listed above, we’ll pay benefits towards:
- Private hospital accommodation
- - Private room
- - Same day admission
- - Intensive care
- - Theatre fees
- Public hospital accommodation as a private patient
- - Overnight accommodation in a shared or private room
- - Same day admissions (shared room only)
What's not covered?
Excluded services:
- Cardio-thoracic procedures including open heart and by-pass surgery and invasive cardiac investigations and procedures, such as angiograms, angioplasties and stent insertions.
More on excluded services.
Restricted services
A restricted service is any service listed in the Medicare Benefits Schedule and that is not listed above as an included service or an excluded service. Examples of restricted services under Basic Visitors Cover are:
- Obstetrics
- Chemotherapy
- Hysterectomy
- Colonoscopy
- Cochlear implant.
The benefits for restricted services will, in most instances, not be adequate to cover the full cost of treatment in private hospitals and public hospitals (including day hospital facilities), and may leave you with significant out-of-pocket expenses.
Further, we do not pay any benefits towards the cost of labour wards or operating theatres associated with the provision of a restricted service. These charges will also form part of your out-of-pocket expenses.
Please note that for a restricted service the cost of no-gap prostheses on the Federal Government Prostheses Schedule will be fully covered.
For more information about restricted services and the benefits payable, please call 132 331.
Medical cover
Basic Visitors Cover provides benefits for medical services, either in or out of hospital, that are listed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule and provided by a doctor. The Medicare Benefits Schedule covers most medical procedures and treatments provided by doctors.
Under Basic Visitors Cover, Medibank Private will pay benefits equivalent to 100% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule Fee, which is the amount declared by the Australian Government as the standard medical fee for the payment of Medicare benefits. You will have to pay any additional cost if the doctor charges more than the benefits we pay you. Benefits are only payable for services listed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule .
If you are eligible for Medicare, you will not receive benefits under Basic Visitors Cover for services for which a Medicare benefit is payable.
Prescription only pharmaceuticals - Important information
You may incur significant out-of-pocket expenses if high cost pharmaceuticals are required for your treatment when in hospital because Basic Visitors Cover pays limited benefits for pharmaceuticals.
Most international visitors to Australia are not eligible for subsidised pharmaceuticals under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Pharmaceuticals used in oncology (cancer) and some other treatments can be very expensive for people who do not have access to subsidised pharmaceuticals.
Is this cover right for you?
Basic Visitors Cover is designed for visitors, temporary residents, residents of Norfolk Island and other residents in Australia who are not eligible for full Medicare entitlements.
Basic Visitors Cover is most suited to young, healthy and budget conscious visitors.
If you have a family or are planning a family, have specific health concerns or expect to use everyday services like dental, physiotherapy and chiropractic, Optimal Visitors Cover or Essential Visitors Cover may be better suited to your needs.
If you are coming to Australia on a student visa our visitor covers will not satisfy your visa requirements. You should check out our Overseas Student Health Cover.
If you are coming to Australia as a sponsored worker then Working Visa Health Insurance cover or Working Visa Health Insurance Hospital & Medical cover could be ideal for you.
Before you join it’s important that you take a look at Further information for details on waiting periods (including the pre-existing ailment rule) and other benefit assessment information.
If you are unsure of a term or phrase used, check out our Glossary.