Bridging visa health insurance
A bridging visa will require you to have adequate health cover in place - this can be in the form of OVHC, OSHC or Medicare, if you're eligible.
Key takeaways
- Condition 8501 applies to some bridging visas in some circumstances - if it applies to yours, you must keep adequate health cover in place.
- The minimum requirements will generally be the same as your previous visa.
- You can get cover with OVHC, OSHC or with Medicare, if your home country has a reciprocal health care agreement.
What health insurance do I need on a bridging visa?
Bridging visas come in five main types, A to E. Condition 8501 - which requires you to maintain adequate health cover - applies to bridging visas A, B, C and E in certain circumstances. Where it applies, you'll need OVHC, OSHC or access to Medicare via a reciprocal health care agreement (RHCA).
Visitor
If you're coming from a visa subject to the 8501 condition, you're going to need adequate health cover. This includes the 482 (Skills in Demand), 485 and 500 (Student) visas, among others.
If you don't have access to Medicare through an RHCA, you'll need to purchase Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). You'll likely already have had this in place for your visa, so it should just be a matter of continuing your coverage.
Student
If you've come off a student visa Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) will meet your cover needs. You should already have this in place from your previous visa, either through your university or with your own policy. If you're transitioning to a non-student visa, you'll likely have to move to an OVHC policy at some stage - you can do this by calling your health fund.
Note that a reciprocal health care agreement is typically not enough for a student visa. Of the 11 countries with agreements, only Belgian, Norwegian and some Swedish students can qualify for student visas without a standalone OSHC policy.
Medicare on a bridging visa
"I came to Australia on a work visa from the UK and as a British citizen I had access to Medicare through the reciprocal health care agreement. I recently applied for my permanent residency and was put on a bridging visa while I wait for approval, which could be several months to more than a year. Thankfully, even on a bridging visa I can access Medicare which means I don't need to spend all that time without access to healthcare."
Compare OVHC for your bridging visa
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How we picked these
Finder Score for overseas health insurance
To make comparing overseas health insurance even easier, we developed the Finder Score. Factors like price, hospital cover, extras cover, emergency travel, and more are weighted and scaled across 50+ policies from 15+ providers to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score, the more competitive the policy.
*Pricing is based on a single male applying for a working visa in Sydney, not applying for permanent residency, not from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement and not eligible for Medicare.
OVHC vs OSHC vs Medicare vs private health insurance
There are 4 types of health coverage in Australia that are relevant to most visa holders. OVHC, OSHC, Medicare and private health insurance. Depending on your activities in Australia, you may use or encounter one, some or all of them.
OVHC
OVHC is designed for most overseas visitors who hold a temporary visa. This includes people on working visas and tourists. If your visa is subject to condition 8501 then it may be mandatory to take out OVHC, unless you have some other form of cover. OVHC policies can be basic or comprehensive, but will cover a portion of your medical expenses 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 physiotherapy
OSHC
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)
Medicare
Medicare forms the basis of Australia’s public healthcare system. To be eligible you will probably need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. You may also be covered if your home country has a reciprocal health care agreement (RHCA) with Australia. Visitors from the UK, for example, can enrol in Medicare. New Zealand and Irish citizens don't enrol and won't get a Medicare card - instead they ask to be treated under the agreement at a public hospital or pharmacy, and they aren't covered for out-of-hospital doctor visits. Medicare 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)
Important: Medicare doesn’t cover everything. It won't cover treatment in a private hospital, ambulance costs, a portion of doctors’ bills or extras benefits such as optical and dental treatment. In addition, only some temporary visa holders from countries with an RHCA are eligible for cover under Medicare.
Private health insurance
If you are eligible for Medicare, you can get extra health coverage with a domestic private health insurance policy, typically known as simply 'private health insurance'. There are 2 main varieties of private health insurance, plus ambulance cover, each of which covering slightly different treatments.
- Hospital insurance helps pay for treatment in a private hospital. The private system offers shorter wait lists for surgery, nicer facilities and your choice of specialists. You'll typically need to still pay an excess when you make a claim, and there will often be out of pocket costs.
- Extras insurance helps pay for out of hospital treatment that Medicare doesn't cover. This can include optical, dental, physiotherapy and more.
- Ambulance cover pays for any emergency ambulance call outs you need while in Australia. Ambulance isn't free in most states and isn't covered by Medicare. Queensland and Tasmania fund emergency ambulance for their residents, while NSW and the ACT offer concessions. Ambulance cover is available standalone, but it's also included on the large majority of hospital or extras policies.
Expert insight: Proving evidence of health cover
"If you have to give evidence of health cover, any the following may be acceptable, unless your visa subclass requires other specific information:
- A copy of the insurance policy;
- A written letter or cover note from an acceptable insurance provider;
- Evidence the visa applicant has enrolled with Medicare via an RCHA;
- Evidence the primary visa applicant and accompanying family members immediately upon visa grant or their arrival in Australia, are, or will be, covered by health insurance that is at least as comprehensive as the adequate level of cover required under policy, with the understanding that the applicants will either enrol with Medicare under a RHCA or enrol in a private insurance arrangement after arrival; or
- For citizens from the Republic of Ireland, evidence they hold an Irish passport.
Family members applying separately from the primary visa applicant or visa holder must produce evidence as per above, which clearly indicates that they, as dependant applicants, will be covered upon arrival in Australia by a policy with an adequate level of cover."
Frequently asked questions
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My mum has a Subclass bridging visa 804. Looking for a suitable health insurance for her, she is 85 years old. We live in Qld, Logan City.
Hello Livia,
Thank you for your comment.
We have some direct insurers on our panel that may be able to provide your mother health insurance while on a bridging Visa (Subclass 804). Kindly refer to the pages below:
– https://www.finder.com.au/health-insurance/overseas-visitors-health-cover/health-insurance-for-parents-visiting-australia
– https://www.finder.com.au/health-insurance/overseas-visitors-health-cover/health-insurance-for-bridging-visas
To get a quote or more information from the direct insurers in our panel, just simply click the Get Quote/Enquire Now/More Info button.
Best to get in touch with the insurer so they can discuss options based on the situation of your mother. I hope this helps.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
I am holding bridging visaE. Is there any health insurance that will cover me until I get the decision? Thanks.
Hi Wang,
Thank you for your comment.
You may visit our list of health cover for bridging visas. Please make sure though to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement PDS/T&C’s of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
Hi..im holding a bridging visa A and waiting for my permanent resident here in Australia..i live in Australia almost 2 years.what sort of life insurance I can apply or private life insurance what can you recommend me?or am I capable to apply even a non private life insurance..i already have Medicare and super i just want for my future here in Australia .
Hi April,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Whether you can take out life insurance in Australia as a non-Australian resident will depend on the following factors:
1. The country you originate from
2. Whether or not you have lived in Australia for more than 12 months
3. The status of your visa
4. Other requirements
You can check all these factors from our review on Life insurance for Non-Australian Residents. To request for quotation, you may submit your details via the form on the same page, an insurance broker will be in touch to discuss the different options available and provide you with a quote. This service is provided free of charge and there is absolutely no obligation to sign up for a policy.
Please ensure you review the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you.
Hope this information helps
Cheers,
Arnold
I am going on a bridging visa whilst my application for aged parent contributory is being processed
Do I need additional health cover to Medicare – if so what is available
Hi Linda,
Thank you for your inquiry.
finder.com.au is a comparison and information service and we are not permitted to provide our users with personalised financial advice or product recommendations.
If you would like to speak with an adviser, please complete the contact form on our article about health insurance brokers. Once you have done so an adviser will contact you.
All the best,
Zubair
I am trying to help my friend find appropriate insurance for her mother . She currently has a Bridging Visa .Bridging B ( Class WB),Bridging B ( subclass 020 ) . She is applying for Aged Parent (Residence ) ( class BP) , Aged Parent ( subclass 804 ) .For some reason her Immigration Agent has had her mother on a Student Insurance Coverage ( maybe this was or wasn’t appropriate ,,,who knows ? ) . What can you tell me . What can you sell me ? Regards Mark .
Hi Mark,
Thank you for your question.
finder.com.au is a comparison and information service and we are not permitted to provide our users with personalised financial advice or product recommendations. I’m afraid we don’t sell anything on our website for our users.
However, if you would like to speak with an adviser, please complete the contact form on our article about health insurance brokers. Once you have done so an adviser will contact you.
All the best,
Zubair