Overseas Student Health Cover, and what it actually pays for

What it generally covers

• Visits to a GP — a general practitioner, who is the usual first stop for anything non-emergency.
• Treatment in a public hospital, and some private hospital treatment.
• Ambulance cover, which matters more than people expect: ambulances are not automatically free in Australia.
• A contribution towards some prescription medicines.

What it generally does not cover

Standard OSHC is medical cover, not everything-cover. These are commonly excluded or only covered under a higher-tier policy:

• Dental, optical and physiotherapy.
• Anything cosmetic.
• Pre-existing conditions, often for a waiting period after the policy starts.
• Pregnancy-related care, also typically subject to a waiting period.

Before you arrive

• Buy cover that spans your whole visa period, not just your first semester — a gap can put your visa at risk.
• Many universities will arrange a policy as part of your offer. You are usually free to choose a different approved provider instead, but do not end up with two policies or none.
• Save your membership number and the provider's app or contact details somewhere you can reach without Australian internet.

If your country has a reciprocal agreement

Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with a number of countries, and students from a few of those countries may be exempt from the usual OSHC requirement or treated differently under it.

This depends entirely on your nationality and your circumstances, so check the official page rather than assuming it applies to you.

Using it once you are here

For anything routine, you book a GP appointment. Some clinics bill your insurer directly; at others you pay and claim the money back afterwards, so keep receipts.

For a genuine emergency you call 000 and go to a hospital emergency department — you do not need to sort out insurance first.