Overseas Student Health Cover in Australia – What You Need to Know

Overseas students are required to have health coverage in Australia. So, international students who are not permanent residents or citizens of Australia are required to have health insurance coverage for the duration of their stay in Australia. The Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a government-subsidized health insurance scheme that provides overseas students with access to the same level of healthcare as Australian residents have with a Medicare card. Students who are fully accredited members of the International Student Health Cover (ISHC) scheme will pay $0 upfront and $938 per annum for this insurance cover. If you are not protected under the OSHC Australia, then your medical cost in Australia can be huge. Overseas students may be granted a student visa or a temporary graduate visa depending on the program of study they have chosen and the duration of their course. Along with a visa, you must obtain health insurance as well before entering Australia. 

If you are planning to move to Australia for further studies, then Thomas Cook’s services can come in handy as we provide a variety of overseas healthcare forex products. We also have our Student Elite Plan which helps you get an OSHC Australia and multiple other benefits including travel insurance as well. This program provides an extra layer of protection that all international students should take advantage of in time of a medical crisis.

Health cover in Australia

Australia has a population of 23.6 million and the majority of them are immigrants. The country is one of the most popular destinations for international students. Healthcare in Australia is provided by both private and public providers, with Medicare being the government-funded universal health care system in place. It provides free or subsidized treatment to Australian citizens and permanent residents who are covered by the Medicare plan.

As an international student, you have access to different health covers in Australia that can provide the same benefit as the Medicare plan. The Australian government provides the following healthcare options for international students and their dependents:

– Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

– Medicare

– Private health insurance

– Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) – Temporary Additional Living Expenses (TALES) – Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

OSHC Australia

OSHC Australia is an insurance policy that provides you with coverage for medical treatment and hospital care for illness or injury that you may experience while in Australia.

The OSHC is a mandatory requirement if you are not eligible for Medicare or Australian health care. The OSHC covers the cost of your medical treatment, hospital stays, ambulance services, and other related medical expenses incurred during your stay in Australia. You may also be covered by private health insurance policies which will provide additional benefits. The OSHC is a requirement if you are not eligible for Medicare or Australian healthcare. The OSHC covers the cost of your medical treatment, hospital stays, ambulance services, and other related medical expenses that you may incur during your stay in Australia. You can also be covered by private health insurance policies which will provide additional benefits.

Students can purchase OSHC for a period of 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months. The student will be covered for the duration of their plan’s course plus 3 months after they complete their course. The cost of this wonderful student cover depends on the length of time you want it for, your age, and whether you are a full-time student or not. The OSHC is designed for overseas students who will be studying in Australia for more than six months. It is important for overseas students to understand what this OSHC is and how it can help them during their stay in Australia as it aids you to handle abroad medical emergencies timely and effectively.

THOMAS COOK’S STUDENT ELITE

For students who are about to fly to Australia for further studies, Thomas Cook has for them the Student’s Elite Plan. The plan gives them tailored insurance coverage that protects their entire overseas journey. But more importantly, the other benefits that this plan offers are coverage for the medical expenses the student may encounter while living and studying in the land Down Under, along with:

• A 24-hour international emergency response service
• Medical evacuation in an emergency
• Coverage for dental pain relief
• Help to pay the fee for tuition after a medical emergency, and more

It is a well-rounded package as you are getting all the benefits that OSHC has to provide. With the compensation provided by this plan, you can save on your living expenses and get back on track after a medical emergency.

This student cover is a must for an international student for a number of reasons. Let’s consider an alternate universe where you haven’t bought one for yourself while living in a foreign country like Australia, and you ended up facing a medical emergency. In such a scenario, the cost of treatment without the plan will be a ton of money, enough to make a dent in your savings, especially with the fluctuating exchange rate.

The current INR to Australian dollar rate is 1 AUD = 55 INR and it keeps on fluctuating throughout the day.  There is no need to abide by the current exchange rate every time you make a transaction as you are paying upfront when you get yourself enrolled in Thomas Cook’s Student Elite Program. Our Student Forex Travel Card is a prepaid card that can be loaded in advance at your convenience. The INR to Australian dollar exchange rate at the time of uploading funds to the card is only considered by Thomas Cook. You can make as many purchases with our forex cards under this plan for an extended period of time without once looking at the foreign currency exchange market.

This Plan was curated by us after taking into consideration what our customers go through when their loved ones require medical attention in a far-off land and they are all alone.  If the student is covered under this plan, then in case of an emergency like the student’s sudden hospitalization, Thomas Cook will pay for a family member’s economy class transportation through a common carrier. This facility is provided so that the insured can have a family member with them to provide support up close.

We, at Thomas Cook, have been helping students and many others to move successfully abroad for studies or work. We know that a student looking for Overseas Students Health Cover in Australia is searching for a reasonably priced service that can help him/her to get their stay abroad covered. Thus, we ensure our pricing is as affordable and effortless as it can get. For example, Our Elite Plans are divided into Silver, Gold, and Platinum Plans available at different student cover charges and payments. You can easily book our Student Travel Card under this Plan online with Thomas Cook. Simply browse our website and choose a plan according to your needs and budget.

Among the many benefits provided by our customizable Student Elite Plan, the ones that need to be highlighted are:

• Financial help in case of a personal accident
• Bail bond
• Coverage to protect the student from lost baggage issues, and more

For more information on how our Student Elite Plan can help further and Australia’s Overseas Students Health Cover eligibility or requirements, contact Thomas Cook today!