Pricing is based on a single live in the State of New South Wales on a visa , and is not from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with and is not eligible for cover under Medicare. Prices are accurate for 2020 but are subject to change.
Overseas Visitors Health Cover is a type of health insurance designed for people who come to work in Australia on a temporary basis. Its aim is to ensure you have access to adequate health cover while they are here as you aren't generally eligible for Medicare. You must have started your cover from your first day in Australia.
In order to comply with the TSS 482 visa (previously the 457 visa), OVHC must be at least equivalent to public hospital cover and include cover for theatre, intensive care, labour ward, ward drugs and emergency department costs. It must also cover day surgery accommodation and treatment, some surgically implanted prosthetics, ambulance transport, PBS listed medications and MBS listed medical services.
All the OVHC policies above do that. They'll also send you a certificate to put with your visa application that proves you have health insurance in place.
"If applicants are required to provide evidence of their health insurance arrangements, any the following may be considered acceptable, unless a particular visa subclass instruction requires other specific information:
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."
If other members of your family are coming over on the 482 visa as well, everyone is required to have OVHC. Most insurers offer singles, couples and family policies so that you can all be covered under the same policy.
It's really important that you make sure you get adequate health insurance on this visa, as without it, your visa won't be approved; it's part of the 8501 requirement.
A basic Overseas Visitor Health Cover policy will pay benefits towards the following:
As with most private health insurance, there are certain service and treatment exclusions that OVHC will not cover, including:
Some waiting periods will apply to your OVHC cover. These are periods of time you must serve before benefits will be payable on your policy and they normally include:
A pre-existing condition is any condition that you had symptoms of in the 6 months prior to your arrival in Australia or prior to your visa being granted (whichever occurred later).
Yes, some visitors on a 482 visa from countries which have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia are exempt from the need for OVHC because they're eligible to receive subsidised health care treatment. This is called Medicare.
Australia has agreements in place with the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy:
If you're visiting from any of these countries on a TSS visa, you should enrol for Medicare when you arrive in Australia.
RHCAs don't cover ambulance transportation, dental care, elective surgery, medical evacuation, private patient treatment in a private or public hospital or any treatment that is not immediately necessary. So even if you're eligible for Medicare, you might be wise to consider taking out OVHC as well.
When comparing OVHC policies from various insurance providers, it pays to keep the following in mind:
Compare TSS visa insurance from participating health funds
Insurance can be confusing when you first arrive in Australia but only health insurance is compulsory – others can be good to have depending on your situation.
We compared dozens of Overseas Visitor Health Cover policies to find some of the best policies for visitors and tourists.
Find out what health insurance you need for the 590 Visa and how to get cover for pre-existing conditions.
Find out who is eligible for 407 Training Visa, what you need, the requirements and the restrictions.
Have you just got your permanent residency? See how you're covered for healthcare in Australia and compare your options today.
ahm offers a range of health cover choices if you’re in Australia to study. See how it stacks up.
If you incur medical or hospital expenses overseas, will your Australian private health insurance cover the cost? Find out here.
If you’re in Australia on a bridging visa, it’s important that you choose a suitable level of private health insurance cover.
Here’s how to find the right level of private health insurance cover for your needs if you reside in Australia on a 485 Temporary Graduate visa.
Find an adequate level of private health insurance to cover any medical costs incurred during your trip to Australia on a subclass 600 visa.