Need health insurance for your visa? Compare OVHC options with Allianz.
If you’re visiting or working in Australia, chances are you won’t be able to access any free or subsidised health care under Medicare. In fact, it may even be a requirement of your visa that you maintain an adequate level of private health insurance cover for the duration of your stay in Australia. This is where overseas visitor health cover (OVHC) comes in. Allianz Global Assistance offers six policies in total, all underwritten by private health insurer Peoplecare Health Limited.
Four of these policies are aimed at workers whose visas need to meet visa condition 8501, including visas 485, 417 and 482 (the old 457). The other two are aimed at visitors that don't have visa requirements but still want protection, like those on visas 600, 601 and 651.
Allianz working visa policies currently on offer
What’s covered by Allianz Global Assistance?
The cover provided by Allianz varies depending on the visa you have and the policy you choose:
Health insurance for workers
Here are the policies for workers on visas 482, 485 and 417 and other working visas that need to meet condition 8501. Of course, all of these policies do meet that condition:
- Budget Working Cover. This is basically a hospital-only policy covering secondary fees you'll usually find when you're treated in a public or private hospital. The big difference is that this policy will cover you for maternity and birth related services as well. The hospital fees covered include:
- Overnight and same-day hospital accommodation
- In-hospital medications
- Accident and emergency fees that lead to inpatient admission (public hospital only)
- Emergency ambulance transport
- Emergency medical repatriation cover
- Surgically implanted prostheses
- Rehabilitation
- Standard Working Cover. This is a step up from Budget Working Cover. It covers all of the same secondary hospital fees. In addition to pregnancy, it will also cover you for a few other treatments and services including:
- Visits to a local doctor, known in Australia as a general practitioner, or GP.
- Non-hospital prescriptions
- Pathology
- Radiology
- Visits to other specialists
- Mid Working Cover. This covers everything Standard Working Cover does plus a range of extras treatments including:
- General Dental
- Optical
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic
- Complementary therapies like acupuncture and remedial massage
- Top Working Cover. This covers everything Mid Working Cover does plus additional extras including:
- Speech therapy
- Hearing Aids
- Podiatry
- Psychology
- Health management including cholesterol screening and weight management programs
Health insurance for workers
Here are the policies for visitors on visas 600, 601 and 651 and others whose visas don't have any special insurance requirements. Neither of these options include cover for extras like dental or optical, but you're free to buy any extras policies on the market to supplement this cover:
- Budget Visitors. This is a hospital-only policy, covering only the secondary fees you're charged in a hospital, including:
- Overnight and same-day hospital accommodation
- Doctor's fees
- In-hospital medications
- Accident and emergency fees that lead to inpatient admission (public hospital only)
- Emergency ambulance transport
- Emergency medical repatriation cover
- Surgically implanted prostheses
- Standard Visitors. Visitors Plus is a more expensive policy option that provides a higher level of cover. It covers all the same hospital expenses as the Budget Visitors policy, but with added cover for:
- Visits to a local doctor.
- Non-hospital prescriptions
- Pathology
- Radiology
- Visits to other specialists
Are there any additional benefits?
Allianz Global Assistance OVHC policyholders can also benefit from:
- 24-hour support. If you experience a medical or personal situation and you need medical advice and assistance, referral to a doctor, access to legal advice or access to an interpreting service, you can phone Allianz Global Assistance’s 24-hour OVHC helpline.
- Cover for the whole family. There are single, dual and family policies available, allowing you to cover your spouse and/or any dependent children travelling with you.
- Flexible payments. You have the option to pay for your OVHC policy fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, six-monthly or annually. Premiums can be paid by automatic payments from your credit card or bank account.
Policy limitations, exclusions, waiting periods and excesses to be aware of
Allianz Global Assistance OVHC is designed for foreign residents planning on visiting or working in Australia on a temporary visa. However, Allianz also offers overseas student health cover (OSHC) for people coming to Australia to study. There are some specific situations and services for which OVHC from Allianz Global Assistance will not provide any cover, such as:
- Assisted reproductive programs (such as IVF)
- Bone marrow and organ transplants
- Treatment provided outside of Australia
- Treatment for pregnancy-related or pre-existing conditions in the first 12 months of cover
- Services and treatment which are covered by compensation or damages provisions
- Elective cosmetic surgery
- Dental, optical, physio and other general treatments (unless you add Basic Extras or Top Extras to your OVHC policy)
- 12 months for pregnancy-related treatment
- 12 months for pre-existing conditions
- Two months for psychiatric, rehabilitative or palliative care
Waiting periods also apply to some extras services, so check these in the policy document if you decide to include extras with your OVHC policy.
How much does Allianz Global Assistance Overseas Visitor Health Cover cost?
There are a couple of important factors that impact the cost of OVHC from Allianz Global Assistance:
- The level of cover you choose. Visitors Plus cover is more expensive than Budget Visitors cover.
- Whether you add extras. Select visa holders also have the option of adding Basic Extras or Top Extras cover for an additional premium.
- How many people you cover. OVHC for a single person won’t cost as much as cover for you, your spouse and a couple of kids.
How do I make a claim?
If you need to make a claim on your Allianz Global Assistance OVHC policy, you will need to:
- Download a form. The OVHC claim form is available for download from the Allianz Global Assistance website.
- Fill it out. Download and complete the form with details of the service you are claiming.
- Submit your form. You can scan the completed form and any receipts and then email them to ovhcclaims@allianz-assistance.com.au, or you can post your claim and receipts to Allianz Global Assistance OVHC, Locked Bag 3004, Toowong QLD 4066.
Claims are processed within ten working days of being received.
Your questions answered
Compare Allianz Global Assistance health insurance options
If you need OVHC for your stay in Australia, Allianz Global Assistance’s policies are worth a closer look. Compare them with the cover offered by other OVHC providers before deciding whether they’re the right match for your healthcare needs.
