OSHC Full Form

OSHC stands for Overseas Student Health Cover. It is required before you apply for your student visa and serves as your health insurance while you are studying in Australia. OSHC is needed until the duration of your student visa is over. If you need to apply for a new student visa, you must first extend your health insurance.

First and foremost, it's crucial to understand that, when studying in Australia, you do have a choice in who provides your OSHC cover. It is not required of you to use the OSHC provider that your school suggests.

A service called OSHC is intended to help overseas students pay for any necessary medical care while they are studying in Australia. With a few exceptions, the Australian government has required that all international students studying there have an OSHC policy for the entire duration of their student visa. OSHC primarily covers expenses within the current Medical Benefits Schedule. This basically means that under their OSHC insurance, overseas students have the same level of medical coverage as Australian residents. Only the base-level cover is included.

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The OSHC Policy Covers:

• The benefit amount specified for out-of-hospital medical services (such as a general practitioner) in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee

• The whole MBS charge for inpatient medical care (such as surgery)

• The public hospital shared ward accommodation

• The shared room accommodations at the private hospital (available exclusively at hospitals with contracts with international students' health insurers)

• Accommodations for day surgery

• A few prosthetic limbs

• Pharmaceutical benefits are limited to $50 per prescription item or $300 annually for a single membership ($600 for a family membership). If international students' insurance does not cover enough of their pharmacological care, especially for cancer treatment, they may have to pay significant out-of-pocket expenses.

• Ambulance services.

The following expenses are not covered under OSHC Policy:

• planned before traveling to Australia

• required for departing or traveling within Australia

• transporting another person or international student into or out of Australia for whatever purpose

• covered by provisions that enable damages and reimbursement

For the length of their intended student visa, students must have OSHC coverage. You have to renew your OSHC policy if you extend your visa.