The Iglu Guide | Blog
International students guide to Australian healthcare
Australia has long been a top study destination for international students, offering a world-leading education alongside an unbeatable lifestyle. Amongst all the excitement of planning to study overseas, thinking about medical services may not be high on the agenda. But it’s important to understand what’s available to you in the event that you do feel unwell – and how you can access the services you need. Here’s what every international student needs to know in order to hit the ground running.
How the Aussie healthcare service works
Australia’s healthcare system uniquely combines public and private services to provide a high level of comprehensive healthcare. There are three key routes to accessing medical services.
- Medicare: This is the public system, where free or heavily subsidised services are available to eligible residents and those from countries with which we share a reciprocal healthcare agreement. Check your eligibility here.
- Private health cover: Almost half of Australians also choose to take out private health cover which allows them to access a wider range of services.
- Self-funded healthcare: Many private hospitals accept self-pay patients without private health cover.
How to access healthcare as an international student
All international students heading to study in Australia must arrange and pay for Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) before arriving in the country as a strict condition of their student visa. This compulsory insurance provides a basic level of healthcare and is specifically designed to help international students cover any medical costs that may occur whilst studying here in Australia. It is offered by a number of different and approved providers such as AHM, Allianz, BUPA, CBHS International Health, Medibank and NIB. It’s definitely worthwhile shopping around to compare coverage and benefits in order to find the best fit. Talk to your university and check whether they have any preferred providers. The most important thing to remember is that it must start before you leave your home country, and it must be maintained for the duration of your time here.
How to apply for OSHC
OSHC can be purchased directly from the insurance provider or from your education provider. Ensure the policy meets your specific healthcare needs and check coverage and inclusions.
What does OSHC cover?
As a mandatory policy, OSGC covers the following:
- Doctor appointments
- Hospital treatment
- Ambulance service
- Prescription medication
It does not cover any dental treatment, optical care or physiotherapy services. You may be able to purchase this coverage as an additional bundle with your insurance provider.
Types of healthcare services available in Australia
GP/Medical centre
GPs are the primary point of contact for any non-urgent medical care. Locate your closest doctor which may be located in a Medical Centre and ensure that they accept your OSHC card – and whether there are any fee gaps to be aware of. There may be on-campus facilities that you can also use, with health clinics that cater specifically to students.
Hospitals
Australia has a vast network of public and private hospitals that provide a comprehensive level of medical care. In an emergency, any waiting periods specified on your insurance policy generally do not apply. If admitted to a public hospital, your OSHC should cover most costs, with some policies even offering coverage for particular private hospital treatments. Where hospital treatment is required, it is highly recommended that you contact your insurer to understand your exact level of cover. With some providers the bill is paid directly by the insurer, whereas in other cases you may be required to pay the bill upfront and claim back the expense. Students can expect OSHC to cover:
- General Medicare services
- In-patient medical services
- Public/private hospital accommodation (cover dependent)
- Ambulance services
- Accident and emergency services
- Pharmaceutical services – partial cover for prescription medications
Mental health support
Living overseas can be challenging and it’s not unusual for some students to require additional support. Many universities offer their own counselling as part of a wider service offering but external helplines and support groups are also available to provide confidential support:
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
- Head to Health 1800 595 212
- Headspace 03 9027 0100
- Mensline Australia 1300 789 978
Pharmacies
Prescriptions can be collected at any chemist including Chemist Warehouse, Priceline, Pharmacy4Less and TerryWhite. For mild illnesses, it’s always useful to pop into the local pharmacy to get some informal advice, and treat symptoms with over-the-counter medications. For cold and flu symptoms that don’t immediately need a doctor’s attention, there are a variety of products available that can help manage common complaints such as a runny nose, tickly cough and sore throat.
Dental and optical care
These services are not covered by the OSHC policy and must be paid for separately. Public dental services are limited, and students will have greater access to private clinics which can be expensive. Optical care is available through the optometrist, and is not supported by OSHC unless a supplementary insurance policy is in place.
Good to know
- Evidence of OSHC must be provided at the time of the student visa application
- Students without an OSHC policy in place on arrival will be refused entry
- OSHC health cover enables students to access the Australian healthcare system
- Students can switch health insurer if necessary, as long as there is no lapse in cover
- Keep a list of healthcare providers and local pharmacies to hand
- In case of accident or emergency, dial 000 to access ambulance, police or fire services
