ahm Overseas Student Health Cover

If you’re in Australia on a student visa, ahm will meet your OSHC requirements.

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Tim Bennett

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Key takeaways

  • Student visa holders require OSHC as Medicare does not cover Australian medical costs.
  • Hospital treatment without OSHC can cost up to $2,500 per day in Australia.
  • Waiting periods apply for pre-existing medical conditions and all pregnancy related services.
Australian Health Management, known as ahm, was founded in the 1970s and is now owned by Medibank. If you’re a student, read on to find out how ahm can meet your health cover visa requirements.

What visas does it cover?

If you’re an overseas student studying in Australia, you’re likely to be here on a Student Visa (Subclass 500). If so, you’re required by the Australian Government to have adequate hospital and medical cover during your stay in Australia.

This applies to all overseas students, whether you’re applying for a student visa, have one already, or are on a bridging visa while you wait for your student visa to be extended. Your spouse and any children under 18 who are staying with you in Australia must also have health cover while they are here.

Before you arrive and once you have arrived

You can either buy your ahm OSHC health cover online before you arrive in Australia or buy it once you’re here. If you purchase your cover overseas, it will take effect from the date you arrive in Australia.

If you buy your ahm OSHC health cover after you arrive in Australia, your cover starts once your premium has been paid, unless you’ve nominated a later commencement date because you’re transferring from another health fund.

Why would you get OSHC?

The reason the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) requires you to have health cover is because you won’t be covered by Medicare, Australia’s national health care program. So if you became ill or injured while in Australia, you’d have to pay your own hospital and medical bills. This might be very expensive, as treatment in a public hospital can cost as much as $2,500 a day.

What are the cover options?

ahm OSHC provides health insurance for singles, couples, families and single parents and covers the following:

  • Medical cover: 100% of the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) fee on GP consultations, 85% of the MBS fees for medical services provided outside of hospital (eg, specialists, pathology and x-rays) and 100% of the MBS fee for medical services provided when admitted to hospital (e.g. surgeon, anaesthetist etc).
  • Hospital cover: Benefits towards hospital accommodation including overnight admissions, same-day admissions, intensive care and theatre fees in a partner private hospital, a non-partner private hospital (lower benefits paid) and a public hospital (shared room only). Also covers emergency ambulance and surgically implanted prostheses.
  • Prescription medicines: Pays the difference between the PBS amount and the cost of the item up to per item (limit of per year).

Treatments

If you choose to take out hospital cover with ahm, you’ll be covered for treatments including:

Some things you need to know

When considering if ahm could be the right choice for your OSHC, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons. Here are some of the key features:

Pros

  • Access to ahm's 24/7 Student Health and Support Line (includes a registered nurse, counselling services, legal advice, help with travel documents, interpreter and family and friends message service).
  • Your choice of doctor or specialist for medical treatment in hospital.
  • An easy online claims process.
  • The option to include extras cover to access a range of ancillary services such as dental, optical and physiotherapy.

Cons

  • No cover for accident and emergency facility fees raised by private hospitals (only public hospitals).
  • Waiting periods for most services (2 months for pre-existing psychiatric conditions and 12 months for pre-existing medical conditions and pregnancy-related services including childbirth).
  • No cover for treatment of a child over 18 years of age (standard with most OSHC products).

How to make a claim

Claiming on your ahm OSHC is easy. ahm OSHC members can claim in the following ways:

  • Online. ahm Online Member Services
  • App. ahm OSHC App
  • Phone. 134 148
  • Direct Billing. Members choice network

How to get a refund or cancel your policy

If you have to cancel your OSHC policy, ahm will refund all of your premium if you don’t come to Australia to study or if you pay for an extended stay and your visa is not extended.

ahm will also refund the unused portion of your premium if:

  • you have to cancel your studies and return home
  • your visa is cancelled or your status changes
  • you’ve been granted permanent residency or another type of Australian visa
  • you didn’t remain in Australia for at least 3 months while holding a student visa or
  • you decide to leave Australia after completing your studies before your student visa expires.

Sources

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A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio

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4 Responses

    EIZEN DRITE LUIS's avatar
    EIZENOctober 22, 2025

    HOW TO CLAIM MY EXPENCES

      Sarah Megginson's headshotFinder
      SarahOctober 23, 2025Finder

      Hi Eizen,

      You can make a claim through the AHM app or through their online member portal. You’ll need to provide evidence of the paid service, like a receipt.

    tiej.kwen@gmail.com's avatar
    tiej.kwen@gmail.comMarch 27, 2025

    can i please get a quote for a child under 18 ,im a student on visa 500 and would like to know how much is the cost for both of us .

      Sarah Megginson's headshotFinder
      SarahMarch 27, 2025Finder

      Hi Tiej,

      You can contact AHM directly to arrange a quote for OSHC that covers both you and your dependant child. You can also review a range of options from different providers for OSHC here. Best of luck!

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