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International Health Insurance for Students | Travel Safely And Worryfree
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International Health Insurance for Students | Travel Safely And Worryfree

Charlotte Koks
Charlotte Koks

Are you thinking about traveling to Australia or elsewhere in the world to study and/or work? And when you look for information or ask around you hear about international health insurance for students OSHC? We bet you have. But, what exactly does the insurance cover? Where can I hire it? There are just so many questions! We understand it can be overwhelming. So, we’ve prepared this article to help you out and leave everything as clear as can be. Keep calm and take note.

International Health Insurance for Students | Travel Safely And Worryfree

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So you have your course selected, your activities planned, and your bags almost packed. And yet, you’re still missing a very important element for your adventure: insurance! It is so important it could actually prevent the whole thing from happening! Nobody wants that, so let’s get to it.

What is the International Health Insurance for Students and who needs it?

International health insurance for students

In every global adventure you start, it is more than necessary to have international health insurance for students. After all, we are talking about your health! This is because health insurance protects you and takes care of your medical expenses in the event of an incident. Furthermore, if you are going to study, not all health insurance is ideal for you. Here we explain which insurance to choose according to the purposes and needs of your trip. For now, we will talk about OSHC, mandatory health insurance for students.

What is the International Health Insurance for Students OSHC?

OSHC stands for Overseas Student Health Cover. It is health insurance that assists international students with their possible medical, pharmaceutical, and hospital expenses. The insurance must cover your entire stay abroad. In other words: it must last as long as your student visa (not just the duration of your course).

Who needs OSHC?

So, you might ask: if I have my own student health insurance, do I need to get an OSHC? The answer is YES. You need to get International health insurance even if you have health or medical insurance purchased from home.

For example, the Australian Government requires all students who are formally in the country to obtain an OSHC. As well as all dependents who come with the student (such as spouses or children under 18 years of age).

That is, it is a mandatory requirement to be able to obtain a “Student Visa. Either to study a language, a vocational course, or college qualifications.
However, if you have any special medical conditions, you can combine your private health insurance with the OSHC. So that you can cover your medical expenses with specialists in the country.

Who doesn’t need International Health Insurance for Students?

As with any rule, there are exceptions. For example, in Australia, there are some bilateral agreements between governments. This means that students with Belgian and Norwegian passports do not need to obtain compulsory international health insurance (OSHC). Or, if you have a Swedish passport.

And you have insurance from CSN International or the Kammarkollegiet, you won’t need it either! So, just check the visa and immigration sites for your country of destination and observe the requirements.

Who offers international health insurance for students, how much does it cost, what does it cover?

International Health Insurance for students

These are all very valid questions. So let’s try to take them one by one. Don’t worry, all this information is very easy to digest.

Who offers OSHC?

There are many institutions offering this International health insurance for students. Some independent ones are Aetna, Medibank, and Allianz Care Australia OHSC. Furthermore, governments tend to have their own agreements. For example, in Australia, you can get an OSHC from the Australian Health Management, Bupa Australia, and NIB OSHC.

If you need your insurance elsewhere, just check out the government’s agreements and the specialized sites. There will surely be one that fits your needs!

How much does the international insurance for students OSHC cost?

The cost of international medical insurance for students will depend on the company and the level of coverage you choose. Below, have the average of the minimum costs according to the number of insured people. Keep in mind that these costs are for Australia:

  • 438 AUD per year for one person.
  • For couples, 2,685 AUD per year.
  •  Family coverage: 4,026 AUD per year.

Remember, your student health insurance should cover all your visa months, not just the course months!

What does the OSHC cover?

Your coverage will depend on the international health insurance you choose. However, there are certain minimums required depending on the government. These tend to be:

  • 100% of the medical expenses of treatment received within a hospital established in the «Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS)». Or, a similar list that describes all the medical services covered by the government social security.
  • Treatment received outside the hospital (such as medical consultants). With the limit established in the «Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS)».
  • Bed service in shared rooms in public hospitals during treatment. For private hospitals, it will depend on the agreement between the insurance company and the hospital in question.
  • Or, bed service for the days of operation.
  • Pharmaceutical services up to a certain limit per product.
  • Ambulance services.

How can I hire international health insurance for students? What do I do if something happens?

Doctor

First of all, keep calm. The answers to these questions, again, will depend on your insurance company. Here, we will tell you about the process with Allianz. This is the company we work with. But the process does not vary that much between insurance companies.

How do I hire International Health Insurance?

If you travel with us, you do not have to do anything to hire it. We do it for you as part of the free services we offer. On the other hand, to hire it by yourself you need to follow the process on the website of the insurance company. It will usually ask for your information and payment. You can do it both on monthly installments or once and for all.

What do I do if I need assistance?

Hopefully, you’ll never need it. But, if you need to see a doctor or go to the hospital, again we can take care of that . Otherwise, you will get all the information you need when you hire your insurance. You will get a process guide and a card with a number you can call during emergencies.

Do I really need International Health Insurance for Students?

International Health Insurance for students

Yes of course! To come to study abroad, you must have international medical insurance for students. Otherwise, your visa will be denied and you will not be able to make your trip. Once you have purchased your insurance, the sky is the limit! So have a look at some of the experiences we have for you around the world.

See? International health insurance for students is quite worth it.

Travel Safely with GrowPro

Go with growpro

If all this seems like too much, don’t worry. As we mentioned before, we can take care of this and other troublesome processes for you. When it comes to international health insurance for students, we do all the paperwork.

What’s more, when you get to your destination, we will give you a “Welcome”. Here, we will deliver your card so that you can use it. Furthermore, upon arrival, we will help you get your TFN, open your bank account and ask for your USI number.

Additionally, if a crisis comes, we have all the instructions you need ready for you. You’ll just need to access your Grower Area and choose your location. Then select “visit the doctor” and follow the instructions. Simple, right?

So, now you know you’ll be covered for any emergencies. Time to start planning in full!

About the author

Charlotte Koks
Charlotte Koks

Hey there! My name is Charlotte, and I'm working as an International Project Manager at GrowPro Experience. My goal is to help students all around the world to live the experiences of a lifetime 🙌🏽. I'm trying to inspire students by means of telling the story of former growers, showing what we are doing at each destination and writing about our cities and tips on our blogs. I got a big passion for adventures, doing sports in the park, learning new languages and seeing new places 🌏. That's one of the reasons why I studied European Studies and why I currently work for GrowPro, to expand my horizons. Hopefully, I can inspire you to do the same!

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