Have a question about OVHC?

CBHS International Health's visitors cover is health cover for visitors looking to work within Australia. It’s part of the requirements for a range of visas when coming to Australia. OVHC is health insurance that complies to the standard set by the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA).  These products are only available to overseas visitors with visa condition 8501.

As most overseas visitors or workers are not eligible for Medicare (our publicly funded healthcare for residents and citizens), getting an appropriate level of health insurance is a requirement for a range of visitors visas. Some visa subclasses must purchase, and provide proof of acceptable OVHC when applying for their visa and maintain cover for the entire time they are in Australia.

Depending on the type of cover you buy, your visitors cover will keep you protected against some of the costs of medical treatment if you get sick or have an accident. Some treatments can cost thousands of dollars!

Once you’ve bought your cover, an email with your compliance letter will be immediately sent to you. Please make sure you provide a valid email address to avoid delays.

Your policy starts when you arrive in Australia or the day that your visa is granted – whichever is later – and ends when your visa expires, provided you maintain your policy payments. It’s important that you contact us when you arrive in Australia or when your new visa starts so that we can activate your cover. Note that you're not covered for treatment outside of Australia.

Your OVHC needs to be paid in advance, and stay in advance at all times. You can pay up to 12 months’ premium in advance.

Once you arrive in Australia there are two ways you can pay your premium:

• Credit card payment
  We accept Visa and Mastercard
• Direct debit
  A direct debit is an instruction from you to your bank or other financial institution to allow CBHS International Health to collect your health insurance premiums (payments) from your account on the date that your premium is payable.

The date will depend on the payment frequency (monthly, quarterly, yearly) you selected when you arranged for your OVHC.

Overseas visitors are generally not eligible for Medicare; the public health system for Australian residents and citizens. If you need medical attention while you’re in Australia and you don’t have health cover it can be very expensive, whether you’re treated in the public or the private healthcare system.

Accidents happen and people get sick. Your CBHS International Health cover makes sure you’re covered if you have an accident or illness while you’re in Australia. Make sure you understand what your chosen policy covers you for.

What is Medicare?

Medicare is the Australian Government’s public healthcare system. Medicare covers things such as:

• Treatment by a doctor or general practitioner (also called GP’s)
• Treatment by a Specialist
• Certain prescription medication
• Treatment in a public hospital

If you're entitled to Medicare and have a Medicare card you will receive benefit to help pay for these services. If you're not entitled to Medicare, then your OVHC can help pay for these services.

Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) vary from country to country, so it’s important to understand what you are and aren’t covered for before deciding on health insurance. Even if you’re entitled to reciprocal benefits, Medicare does not cover you for everything and without health insurance you will need to pay for these services. The list below gives examples of services that are NOT covered under RHCA.

• Ambulance cover
• Dental care
• Elective treatment
• Funerals
• Medical evacuation to your home country
• Paramedical Services, for example blood tests
• Treatment and accommodation in private hospitals, or as a private patient in a public hospital
• Treatment that is not immediately necessary.

The private healthcare system complements the public healthcare system, or if you’re not eligible for Medicare, it replaces it. CBHS International Health provides OVHC to overseas visitors to help with the cost of services provided in the private healthcare system. This includes emergency ambulance trips and a range of treatments in a private hospital.

That will depend on the type of cover you buy. Your certificate will tell you what cover you’ve bought.

• Single: cover for just you
• Couple: cover for you and your spouse or de facto partner
• Family: cover for you, your spouse or de facto partner, and your dependent children under the age of 18 who are living with you in Australia
• Sole Parent: cover for you, and your dependent children under the age of 18 who are living with you in Australia

Sometimes you must wait for a period of time before you’re able to claim benefits for services under your CBHS International Health cover – this is called a waiting period. The following waiting periods apply to our policies:

• Psychiatric treatment: 2 months
• Palliative Care: 2 months
• Rehabilitation: 2 months
• Pre-existing medical conditions: 12 months
• Pregnancy and birth related services: 12 months (unless it's an emergency)

A pre-existing condition is an illness or medical condition, the signs or symptoms of which existed at any time in the period of six months before the person became insured under an OSHC or OVHC policy. This is determined by a medical advisor appointed by CBHS International Health and takes into consideration any information provided by the member’s Health Care Provider.

Exclusions are services that are not covered under your policy. You can seek services for the exclusions, but CBHS International will not pay any benefits. Examples of exclusions under our health cover are:

• Outpatient psychiatric and psychology
• Assisted reproductive services (e.g. IVF and GIFT)
• Cosmetic surgery
• Stem cell, bone marrow and organ transplant
• Other services for which a Medicare benefit is not payable.

You can contact us by email oshc@cbhscorp.com.au or ovhc@cbhscorp.com.au or you can call us from overseas on (+61) 2 8604 3500.

The public healthcare system is run by the government and is called Medicare. Medicare covers things such as:

• Treatment by a doctor or general practitioner (also called GP’s)
• Treatment by a Specialist
• Prescription medication
• Treatment in a public hospital

If you are entitled to Medicare and have a Medicare card you will receive benefit to help pay for these services. If you are not entitled to Medicare, then your OVHC can help pay for these services.

Australia has RHCA’s with the following countries:

• United Kingdom
• New Zealand
• Italy
• Belgium
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Sweden
• Finland
• Norway
• Slovenia
• Republic of Ireland

Residents from these countries are entitled to Reciprocal Medicare for medically necessary treatment while in Australia.

If you come from a country that has a RHCA with Australia, and your taxable income reaches the MLS threshold then you may have to pay the MLS. This could mean that you will need to pay an additional 1% - 1.5% in tax unless you have appropriate private hospital cover. To find out more about the MLS and tax you should seek independent tax advice or visit the Australian Taxation Office at www.ato.gov.au

Most Australian taxpayers pay an annual Medicare Levy on their taxable income each year. This helps fund Medicare, the public healthcare system that provides free or subsidised cover for certain healthcare services to Australian citizens and permanent residents. On top of this, if you do not have private health insurance you may be charged the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) of between 1-1.5% if you earn above a certain income. The base income threshold (under which you are not liable to pay the MLS) is $90,000 for singles and $180,000 for families.

Many Australians who take out Private Health Insurance cover can claim a rebate to help contribute towards the cost of their premiums. The rebate is income tested and applies to domestic hospital and ancillary (Extras) products. The rebate does not apply to OVHC. You could be eligible for the rebate if you have Medicare and an Australian domestic product such as Extras. For more information about the Australian Government Private Health Insurance rebate you can visit www.privatehealth.gov.au or the Australian Taxation Office at www.ato.gov.au

Most minor medical issues can be treated by a local doctor or General Practitioner (GP) who can prescribe medication. Usually you will only go straight to hospital if you have an emergency or major accident.

If you have a non-urgent injury or illness that needs to be treated, you may want to consider visiting a GP at a medical centre. In Australia, doctors can be either GPs or Specialist Physicians. To visit a Specialist Physician such as a Gastroenterologist, you must first visit a GP and obtain a referral.

When you see a doctor, there is a fee set by the government for consultations called the Medical Benefits Schedule or MBS fee for most medical services. If your doctor charges the MBS then your CBHS International Health policy will pay the entire amount. If the doctor chooses to charge more than the MBS, then you will have to cover the difference known as an ‘out of pocket’ or ‘gap’ payment.

All public hospitals in Australia have a 24-hour emergency and casualty department where you can get help after hours and on the weekend. People waiting in emergency are assessed and treated based on the seriousness of their medical condition. The patients with the most urgent problems are seen and treated first. If you attend the emergency department with a less serious medical condition, you may need to wait a long time to be treated and you could have a large out of pocket expense.

When you’re treated in hospital by a doctor, surgeon or anesthetist the fee applied is the MBS fee. If the person treating you charges only the MBS fee (and the service is included in your policy) you will be covered for the service. If they choose to charge above the MBS fee then you will have to pay the difference. Before you go to hospital, you should ask your doctor and the hospital if there will be any additional costs that might be higher than those covered by your OVHC. It is also highly recommended that you contact CBHS International Health before you go to hospital so that we can tell you if there are any exclusions, restrictions or limits on the treatment you are seeking.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is an Australian Government program that subsidises some prescription medicines to make them more affordable for residents. Generally, overseas visitors to Australia are not eligible for subsidised prescription medication under the PBS. Overseas visitors from countries with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) are also eligible to access the PBS.

You’ll have to pay a gap fee if the amount the medical provider charges is more than the benefit you’re entitled to under your cover. You’ll need to pay the gap fee yourself – you won’t be able to claim that amount. For example, if you have a standard consultation with a doctor and were charged the MBS fee of $37.05 your policy would pay 100% and you would have no gap. If the doctor charged $50 then your policy would pay $37.05 (equal to the MBS benefit) and you would have to pay $12.95 which is the ‘gap’ between the benefit your policy pays and the cost of the service.

It’s important that you contact us when you arrive in Australia so that we can start your cover correctly. After you arrive in Australia you’ll receive your membership cards and detailed information about your level of cover and what it includes.

Medicare: www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/dhs/medicare

Private Health Insurance: www.privatehealth.gov.au

If you have taken out your OVHC Policy prior to your arrival in Australia, and paid one month’s premium, CBHS International Health may apply an administration fee equal to one month’s premium contribution.

If you have paid more than one month’s premium, CBHS International Health will retain an administration fee equal to one month’s premium contribution and will refund the balance of the premium paid.

If you are already in Australia and withdraw or cancel the policy within 30 days of the start date of the policy, CBHS International Health will retain an administration fee equal to one month’s premium contribution.

Yes. If your visa application is refused or cancelled, you will need to provide CBHS International Health with a copy of any correspondence you receive from the Department of Home Affairs (previously known as Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP)) refusing or cancelling your visa. CBHS International Health may be required to report policy cancellation to the Department of Home Affairs.