Have a question about OSHC?

As requested by Department of Health (DoH) under the OSHC Deed, Medibank will be required to provide the name and contact details of any OSHC member (new or existing) to the Department on Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) where the student has chosen to cancel their OSHC policy.

Medibank is committed to managing personal information according to our Privacy Policy, as amended from time to time.

If you’re staying in Australia on another visa after your student visa expires, you’re no longer able to be covered by OSHC. However, Medibank has a range of health covers which will help keep you protected should any unforseen medical circumstances arise.

If you take out another Medibank hospital cover within two months of your OSHC expiring, you won’t have to serve any additional waiting periods for benefits to which you were entitled to under your OSHC.

Call Medibank on 134 190 to discuss the best health cover options to suit your needs.

Medibank Visitors health insurance

If you need treatment, you can choose any general practitioner you like or if it’s an emergency, go to your nearest hospital. If necessary, the doctor will refer you to a specialist for further treatment. Both specialists and general practitioners may order x-rays or pathology tests.

If you require admission to a hospital, you may choose to be admitted to either a public hospital as a private patient, or a private hospital. 

If your cover lapses and you wish to reopen your membership, you will need to pay:

• The value of the premiums that are outstanding for the lapsed period; and
• A premium payment advancing the membership date to the expiry date of your student visa (i.e. visa length health cover).

Remember that you need to maintain your OSHC cover to fulfil the requirements of your student visa.

For further information, please contact us 

For Medibank Essentials OSHC, you can pay your OSHC premium online.

Purchase of the Medibank Comprehensive OSHC policy however is only available through selected universities and schools. Check with your institution to see if you can access this cover.

Renew your Medibank Essentials OSHC membership online now 

Yes, you can transfer your cover to Medibank from any other Australian OSHC insurer. Your period of membership will count towards any waiting periods you may need to serve with Medibank OSHC.

If your cover with your last insurer has lapsed or expired, other conditions apply. For more information, contact us 

Yes. If you arrive in Australia earlier or later than the date you gave us when you joined, you need to let us know immediately by contacting us. 

When you buy your OSHC online, you become a member from the date of your arrival in Australia. However, if you don’t pay your OSHC premium before your date of arrival, your commencement date will be the date your OSHC premium is first paid.

If you purchase your OSHC while you are already in Australia, it will start on the day you join. 

Yes. You can buy Medibank Essentials OSHC directly online.

Purchase of the Medibank Comprehensive OSHC policy however is only available through selected universities and schools. Check with your institution to see if you can access this cover.

Find out more about Medibank Essentials OSHC 

With Medibank OSHC you can choose:

• a single policy that covers the student only
• a couple policy that covers the student and their spouse or de facto partner as listed on the student's visa
• a family policy that covers the student and their dependants (such as their spouse or de facto partner and any dependant children under 18 years of age) as listed on the student's visa.

Please note we don't cover members of your family such as parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles or aunts.

Call Medibank on 134 190 to discuss our range of Visitors health insurance. 

It is a condition of most student visas to have health insurance for the full duration of that visa. Medibank OSHC is designed for people who are the holder of a student visa or a person who:

1. is an applicant for a Student Visa ; and
2. is the holder of a Bridging Visa; and
3. was, immediately before being granted the Bridging Visa, the holder of a Student Visa.

Unless you are the holder of a valid student visa, you are not eligible to purchase OSHC from us.

The requirement to have OSHC for the entire length of your student visa applies to overseas students who purchased OSHC on or after 1 July 2010. However, there are limited exceptions for students from certain countries:

Norwegian and Swedish students

Norwegian and Swedish students who are covered by health insurance arrangements provided by their Governments do not need to take out OSHC. Any student not eligible for cover provided by their Government must take out an OSHC policy.

Belgian students

Belgian students studying in Australia are covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia and do not need to take out OSHC. However, Belgian students may wish to take out OSHC for a more comprehensive level of cover.