If you are a recent international student graduate, you should consider the 485 visa or temporary graduate visa. This will allow you to live, study and work in Australia temporarily. To meet the visa requirements, you need to have adequate health insurance.
Keep in mind that 485 visa applicants need to purchase OVHC (Overseas Visitor Health Cover). Applicants of post-study work stream or graduate work stream need to satisfy the condition 8501, which mandates an applicant to buy a health insurance policy.
Here are the different things you need to know about health insurance for 485 visa:
Understanding “adequate arrangement for health insurance”
In the condition 8501, it states that applicants should show that they have “adequate arrangement for health insurance”. This may be vague to you. The Department of Home Affairs explained the “adequate arrangement for health insurance” in the following way:
- The insurance should cover public hospital treatment in Australia.
- It should also cover surgical implant prostheses.
- It should include the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme).
- The insurance should cover medical services as well as ambulance services.
Types of OVHC policies
With these specifications, you can pick from a range of policies available in Australia. Compare multiple providers for the 485 visa so you can make an informed decision. Before anything, you can choose from the following policies:
- Low-range cover: as the name suggests, this is by far the lowest in the policy. This only covers yourself and your family’s hospital and ambulance expenses.
- Medium-range cover: most medium-range policies cover Out of Hospital treatments aside from the basic hospital expenses. It might also include prescription medicines. This type of policy costs between AUD 105-250.
- Top-range cover: this is the most comprehensive coverage. It includes private hospital treatment with options of receiving dental, physio-treatments and optical. This policy is without a doubt the most expensive.
It is important that you read your Certificate of Insurance because it will show the details like who is covered under the policy. It can be Singles, Dual family or multi-family. Singles only cover the overseas student. The Dual family will cover the student, spouse and one or more children under 18 years old. The Multi-family will cover the student, spouse and one or more dependent children.
Payment basis
The OVHC does not require the policy owner to pay the premium in full – for the duration of the stay. This means that you can choose an auto-debit option as per your Health Insurance provider on a weekly, monthly or yearly payment basis.
Waiting periods
You should also understand the waiting period. This is the time that you need to wait after the purchase of the policy and before the cover is available for a particular medical condition. Keep in mind that you cannot claim medical treatment that is stipulated during the waiting period.
Final words
In the end, when it comes to identifying the right policy, it will boil down to your personal preference or your health care needs. You should decide immediately because you only have a short time span to apply before your student visa will expire.