Bridging visa health insurance

Different types of Australian bridging visas

Bridging visas are temporary visas that allow you to stay in Australia after your current substantive visa ends and your application for a new substantive visa or permanent residency is processed. There are several types of bridging visas available:

• Bridging Visa A. Allows you to stay in Australia while your current visa ends and your new visa application is being processed.
• Bridging Visa B. Allows you to leave and return to Australia while your new visa application is being processed.
• Bridging Visa C. Allows you to stay in Australia while your new visa application is being processed (and you do not already hold a substantive visa).
• Bridging Visa D. Applies if your substantive visa has ended and you need to stay in Australia lawfully for a short period of time until you are able to make a substantive visa application, make arrangements to leave Australia or are granted a Bridging visa E.
• Bridging Visa E. Lets you lawfully stay in Australia after your substantive visa has ended and while you make arrangements to leave, finalise your immigration matter or await an immigration decision.

Australian bridging visas and health insurance

Your health insurance requirements while staying in Australia under a bridging visa will depend on the visa you’re applying for, or whether you are applying for permanent residency:

• If you’re applying for a student visa, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) will meet your cover needs. However, Belgian, Norwegian and some Swedish students can opt out of taking out OSHC and instead be covered under their respective countries’ Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with the Australian Government.
• If you’re applying for a 457 visa, you’ll need 457 visa-compliant Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC).
• If you’re applying for a 485 visa, you’ll need 485 visa-compliant OVHC.
• If you’re applying for any visa with condition 8501 (a requirement that you take out health insurance), 457 or 485 visa-compliant OVHC will meet your requirements. Other types of OVHC may also be suitable.

Finally, if you’re applying for any other visa, you can purchase OVHC if you are unable to access any form of Medicare benefits or if you have access to reciprocal health care benefits through an RHCA between your country of origin and Australia. If you have an interim or full Medicare card, you can purchase a private health insurance policy for Australian residents.

• See the full list of condition 8501 working visas

OSHC, OVHC or Medicare: What’s covered?

OSHC is designed to help international students cover the cost of medical and hospital care they receive while in Australia. This type of cover is a mandatory requirement for overseas students residing in Australia on a temporary student visa. OSHC provides a financial safety net for international students, including cover for:

• GP visits
• Inpatient medical services
• Shared accommodation in a public or private hospital
• Day surgery accommodation
• Limited pharmaceutical benefits
• Ambulance services
• Extras services such as optical, dental and physio (can be purchased for an additional cost)

OVHC is designed for most overseas visitors who hold a temporary visa. It covers a portion of the medical expenses they incur while in Australia, including:

• Medically necessary admissions to hospital
• A portion of doctor’s fees
• Ambulance transport
• Some pharmaceuticals
• Extras services such as optical, dental and physio (can be purchased for an additional cost)

Medicare forms the basis of Australia’s public healthcare system. It provides free or subsidised cover for a range of medical services, including:

• Medically necessary public hospital treatment
• Visits to a general practitioner
• Referrals to specialist doctors
• Medical tests
• Prescription medication included in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

However, there are plenty of medical expenses that Medicare doesn’t cover, including treatment in a private hospital, ambulance costs, a portion of doctors’ bills and extras benefits such as optical and dental treatment. To receive cover for these expenses you will need to take out a form of private health insurance. In addition, many temporary visa holders are not eligible for cover under Medicare, so they need to apply for a special form of private health insurance that meets their cover needs.

What is the 8501 visa condition?

The 8501 visa condition, also referred to as health insurance requirement 8501, requires student visa holders and many working visa holders to maintain an adequate level of health insurance cover while in Australia. Cover must be in place for the duration of your stay and if you fail to make the necessary arrangements, your application for a visa will be refused.

Which visas are affected by the 8501 visa condition?

Condition 8501 applies to several popular visas, including:

• 457 and 482 temporary work (skilled) visa
• 485 temporary graduate visa
• Most temporary working visas
• All student visas (Norwegian, Belgian and some Swedish students are exempt from the requirement due to Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with the Australian Government)

Australian insurers offer two types of policies to satisfy condition 8501: Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Contact the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to find out whether condition 8501 applies to you, and make sure the policy you choose satisfies the requirements of the condition.

How do you apply for OVHC, OSHC or Medicare?

If you need to apply for OVHC, you can purchase cover from health funds and general insurers based in Australia, or choose a policy issued by an insurer in another country. There are many policies to choose from, but remember that in some cases you will need to choose a policy specifically designed to suit your type of visa.

OSHC can be arranged through your educational institution or purchased online through the website of an OSHC provider. Even if your education provider recommends a specific insurer, you are free to select the OSHC provider of your choice.

To apply for Medicare, you can complete a Medicare Enrolment Application form, which is available from the Department of Human Services website. However, if you’re visiting Australia from an RHCA country and wish to enrol in Medicare you’ll need to provide your passport and a valid visa, and possibly identification that shows you are enrolled in your country’s national health care scheme.

The following countries have RHCAs with Australia:

Is there any reason to consider OVHC or OSHC if they aren’t mandatory for me?

Despite its many advantages, the Medicare system certainly does not provide comprehensive cover for medical costs. Medicare doesn’t cover:

• Ambulance services
• Full doctor’s fees for in-hospital medical services
• Medication that isn’t subsidised under the PBS
• Home nursing
• Physio, optical, dental and chiro

Happily, these and many more medical services can be covered if you take out OVHC or OSHC.

Final suggestions

There are a few other factors you need to consider when choosing an OSHC or OVHC policy. One of those factors is the waiting periods that apply. Most insurers impose a 12-month waiting period on benefits for pre-existing conditions, while others will even exclude all pre-existing conditions from cover for the life of your policy.

Next, take a look at the fine print to check the list of exclusions. Work out exactly which services and costs are covered under a policy and which aren’t. If a service or treatment has restricted cover, how much of the procedure will you need to cover out of your own pocket? Taking out the highest level of hospital cover you can afford is a good idea, as this will provide extra peace of mind.

Finally, keep your policy paid and up to date so that your claims will always be processed, and notify your fund if your visa status changes at any time.

Full list of condition 8501 working visas

On a bridging visa? Compare OVHC from Australian funds

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