Visitors health insurance: Everything you need to know
Heading to Australia for a holiday, work, or making a family visit? Many visas require you to purchase visitor health insurance. Without it, you could face hefty out-of-pocket medical bills or lose your eligibility to stay in the country. But how do you find the right policy?
This guide breaks down what health insurance for overseas visitors involves, why it’s essential, and how to find a policy that fits your needs. Let’s dive into what you need to know to set yourself up for an exciting Australian adventure.
How does visitors health insurance work?
As an international visitor in Australia, you can purchase Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) to help protect yourself against out-of-pocket medical costs.
For many visas, the Australian Government requires you to have health insurance for the entire time you’re in the country. But this depends on whether your specific visa is subject to visa condition 8501 - a rule which requires you to maintain adequate health insurance for the entire duration of your stay.
Your Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) helps to cover you for a range of different medical services. These can include both in-hospital and out-of-hospital care, depending on the policy you choose.
The Australian Government sets recommended fees for most medical services through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). If your doctor charges the MBS fee, health insurers will pay the full amount. But if they charge more, you’ll need to pay the difference - this is called an ‘out-of-pocket expense’ or ‘gap’ payment¹.
Some medical services may have waiting periods. This means you need to wait a set amount of time before you can claim benefits.
See your CBHS International Health policy and fund rules for more detailed information.
Comparing the cheapest health insurance for working visitors: How much does it cost?
CBHS International Health offers low-cost Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) for singles working or on a working holiday in Australia.
Coverage starts from $59.97 AUD/month with $500 hospital excess.
Our Overseas Worker Base Hospital product has been rated 5-stars by Canstar.
Can I switch from my current OVHC provider?
If you’ve arrived in Australia and you’re not satisfied with the price, level of cover, benefits, or services you receive from your current provider, you can easily switch to CBHS International Health.
Switching doesn’t impact your studies, work, or visa arrangements, provided you don’t have any periods without cover in between your existing policy and your new policy.
Does OVHC include extras like dental, optical and physiotherapy treatment?
Our Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) doesn't include dental treatments, optical services, or physiotherapy. However, you can purchase additional 'extras' insurance with CBHS Corporate Health to help cover these costs and personalise your health insurance to suit your needs.
Call our Member Services team on 1300 586 462 if you need to add extras to your OVHC.
Will I have access to online and telehealth services with OVHC?
When you’re feeling sick and need medical advice, a telehealth consult might be suitable for you. With telehealth consults, you talk to a medical practitioner by video or telephone from the comfort of your own home.
Whether you have a health issue, or need a medical certificate, referral letter, or prescription, these services are available on demand or by appointment. If you need a prescription your doctor will send it to a pharmacy of your choice.
Telehealth services are included with CBHS International OVHC Mid and Top Hospital and Medical policies. If you consult with a telehealth provider we have an agreement with, we’ll cover 100% of the agreed fee. Which means, there are no out-of-pocket costs you need to pay. To find a telehealth provider CBHS has an agreement with, visit our website or call us on 1300 174 537.
For non-agreement providers, if you hold a CBHS International OVHC Mid or Top Hospital and Medical policy, we’ll pay up to 100% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee, where an MBS item number is provided, except where an exclusion applies.
Considerations for choosing the best visitors health insurance plan
Choosing the right visitors health insurance ensures you’re covered for medical surprises while visiting Australia. But with so many plans, how do you choose?
When making a decision, you should consider:
- cost and budget: Compare premiums and excess you need to pay before being admitted to hospital
- visa requirements: Check if your visa (e.g. 482) requires adequate health insurance due to visa condition 8501. Even if it doesn't, you might still want health insurance
- coverage needs: Need Hospital only, Hospital and Medical or Hospital, Medical and Extras? CBHS Corporate offers Extras policies that complement your OVHC
- dependants and partners: Travelling with your partner, spouse or children? Make sure your policy includes cover for everyone. Only primary visa holders without dependants are eligible for a single policy. If you’re a secondary visa holder, or travelling with family and you take out a single policy, claims may be rejected. To ensure you and your dependants and/or partner are all fully covered, your policy must correctly reflect your visa status and family structure (Single, Couple, Sole Parent, or Family)
- waiting periods: Some services have waiting periods. This is the time you wait before you can claim benefits. For example, pre-existing conditions have a 12-month waiting period. Make sure you review your policy and fund rules
- provider support: Look for 24/7 helplines, like CBHS International's multilingual assistance.
