OSHC Membership Guide

Types of membership available and who can be covered

OSHC offers two types of membership:

• Single membership, which covers you (the student) only
• Family membership, which covers you (the student), and your Spouse and/or Dependent Children.

A Dependent Child is not eligible to remain on an OSHC Family Membership from the date of his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday. Members with OSHC may not be members of any other Medibank Private hospital cover. They may, however, purchase an additional Medibank Private ancillary (or ‘extras’) cover. Please contact us if you would like further information about our ‘extras’ cover options.

Short course students
If you come to Australia on a visitor visa to undertake a short course of study (three months or less), you are not eligible to purchase OSHC. To discuss our Visitors Cover options, please visit a Medibank store or call 132 331.

Expatriate Australian students
If you are an expatriate Australian coming to Australia on a student visa to undertake formal studies, and you are not eligible for Medicare, it is important that you take out OSHC for the length of your stay.

Norwegian and Swedish students
Most Norwegian and Swedish students are covered by health insurance arrangements provided by their government, and are not eligible to join OSHC. A Norwegian or Swedish student can be covered by OSHC if they provide documents that verify they are not eligible to be covered under their own government’s insurance arrangements.

When does your cover start?

• If you pay your premium before you arrive in Australia: your cover starts from the date of your arrival. If you arrive on a date other than your expected date of arrival, please visit us at one of our stores so that our records can be changed to reflect the appropriate commencement date. You will need to bring your passport and membership card (if you already have one) with you to make this change.
• If you pay your premium after you arrive in Australia: your cover starts on payment of your premium, unless you have nominated a later date to be your commencement date, or on the date you transfer from your current health fund.

Please note that benefits cannot be paid until Medibank Private has received your premium. If you pay your premium through your educational institution, there may be a short delay before Medibank Private receives it.

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