Reasons to keep your cover
There are plenty of reasons to keep your overseas visitors health cover while your Australian experience continues into 2019 and beyond.
Accident Override
We know that accidents happen. And when they do, recovery should be a top priority. It’s why we made sure that regardless of their level of Hospital cover, if our members have an Accident, we’ll pay benefits towards their treatment, even if it’s normally Excluded under their cover^.
Peace of mind if the unexpected occurs
Your cover includes everyday hospital services# such as joint reconstructions, gynaecology, ear, nose and throat services, and digestive system treatments. It also includes medical services~, such as seeing a GP, blood tests and x-rays, plus Unlimited Emergency Ambulance services Australia-wide*.
24/7 Health Advice Line
We know that it’s important to access healthcare anywhere, anytime. That’s why you can always speak with a Medibank nurse on our 24/7 Health Advice Line. Whether it’s a question about how to manage symptoms or when you should see a doctor, day or night, our nurses are available on 1800 644 325 for round-the-clock advice.
Your trusted partner
We offer great value to over 3.7 million members in Australia through regular updates on Live Better. Here you can find articles on wellbeing, exclusive offers, advice from experts or online courses.
Are you on the right cover?
If your visa status or health cover needs have changed recently, it might be time to review your cover. You can talk with one of our customer service experts for any health cover related questions via 24/7 online chat. We’re also available over the phone on 134 190 and across our large store network.
Pathway to Permanent Residence for Retirees
If you’ve been living in Australia as a retiree (visa subclass 405 or 410), through the new pathways introduced by the Australian Government in November 2018, you may now be eligible to apply for Permanent Residence in Australia.
If you become a permanent Australian resident, or otherwise become entitled to full Medicare benefits, your cover may no longer be appropriate and you should contact us to discuss moving to an Australian resident cover.
You can find out more about the pathway to Permanent Residence for Retirees.
My Medibank App.
Update your details, check your limits and see what your cover includes from your mobile - anywhere, anytime.
Download now: Google Play or Apple App Store.
Why premiums are reviewed annually
Reviewing premiums means we can continue to provide our members with the health support they deserve during their time in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
We'll let you know of any changes to your premium by email or mail as soon as possible. You'll pay the new premium when you make your next payment from 1 April 2019. Don't forget that you can choose how often you pay your premium: fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly.
We have many products that pay towards various health services and treatments. Because the types of claims being made by members are different at each level of cover, this requires different premium rates be applied to cover the cost.
Yes, members can prepay their premium up to 12 months at any time. Members can also 'lock in' their premium at their 2018 rate by prepaying prior to 31 March 2019 (ie. before the 1 April premium change).
Although insurers who offer Overseas Health Covers can change their rates at any time of the year, generally premium changes align with the Australian resident cover premium review period.
Premium changes reflect the cost of providing health services to all members on the same level of cover, not the costs at an individual member level.
The industry average figure only relates to Australian resident covers, not to Overseas Health Covers.
Changes to premiums depend on factors like the general product claiming patterns of members and new technology or legislative changes and associated costs. Members who have Overseas Health Covers are typically not Australian residents, and generally do not have their treatments subsidised by Medicare, so the premiums on Overseas Health Covers reflect the full cost to insurers providing cover to members.
No. Unlike the premium changes affecting Australian resident covers, health insurers set the premiums for Overseas Health Covers themselves based on the cost of offering the product.
This really depends on the state of the Australian healthcare at any given time. So, we can't say that premiums won't go up in the future, but we're working hard to keep both premiums down as much as we can and deliver more value back to our members.
That depends on the cost of providing services to members of our Overseas Health Covers at any given time. As medical costs are generally on the rise, we must review our premiums to ensure our Overseas Health Covers remain sustainable and will meet the needs and claiming pattern of members.
Things you should know
^Out-of-pocket expenses may apply. Limited to services listed on the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS). Excludes claims covered by third parties such as Workcover. Some products may have additional conditions, including that the accident occurs after join date and that treatment must be sought within 7 days of accident. See your Cover Summary for details.
* For ambulance attendance or transportation to a hospital where immediate medical attention is required and your condition is such that you couldn't be transported any other way.
# Waiting periods and out of pocket expenses may apply.
~ Out-of-pocket expenses may apply.