Allianz Care OSHC
Global health expertise for international students
- 24/7 multilingual health support line
- MyHealth app with digital claims and health records
- Preferred provider with many Australian universities
Australia-wide · Updated 1 October 2026
Five insurers currently sell OSHC.
One side-by-side comparison.
Every student on a subclass 500 visa has to hold Overseas Student Health Cover. The legal minimum is identical across every insurer signed to the OSHC Deed — the differences are in waiting periods, gap-free networks, extras and how claims actually work. We lay those out side by side, and you can buy Allianz Care, Medibank, Bupa or ahm cover through the UNILINK checkout.
- Insurers selling OSHC
- 5
- Product facts checked
- 1 Oct 2026
- Advice given
- General only
Step 1 of 3
Narrow five current insurers down to a shortlist
Shortlist is built from published product features, never from price — we don't rank insurers on premium, because the live figure depends on your own dates. Take these names to the insurers and compare their quotes for identical cover periods.
The five
Who is actually selling OSHC right now
Only insurers signed up to the Australian Government's OSHC Deed can issue cover that satisfies visa condition 8501. These are all five insurers currently selling it.
You will still see "six OSHC insurers" lists elsewhere. That number is out of date: CBHS International Health stopped selling OSHC to new members from 1 November 2025. The list above is the current one, checked against the Department of Health's own OSHC materials on 1 October 2026. We keep a CBHS page for existing members, with no purchase button.
Medibank OSHC
Australia's largest health insurer
- 24/7 Student Health and Support Line
- Medibank Health & Wellbeing app
- Members' Choice network with gap-free GP visits
Bupa OSHC
Trusted worldwide health insurance for international students
- Bupa Blua Health app with 24/7 virtual GP consultations
- 'Find a Provider' direct billing locator
- Optional Extras OSHC (dental, optical, physio)
ahm OSHC
Straightforward OSHC from a Medibank subsidiary, approved across all states
- Subsidiary of Medibank, using Medibank network and claims infrastructure
- 24/7 health advice line
- Online claims via the ahm app
nib OSHC
Friendly, straightforward health cover for students
- Digital-first experience with easy online management
- nib App for claims, digital card, and provider search
- Flexible payment options (monthly installments)
Product details summarised from each insurer's public product pages and the Department of Health OSHC Deed. Collected 1 Oct 2026. Premiums move — confirm the live figure and the current PDS with the insurer before you buy. nib is compared here but not sold through our checkout.
Before you compare anything
What every OSHC policy must cover by law
These minimums come from the OSHC Deed, not from the insurer. Any approved policy — including the cheapest one — has to meet them. That is why "which one is safest" is usually the wrong question.
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Public hospital care
Admitted shared-ward, intensive care, same-day, post-operative, emergency and outpatient services in a public hospital, benefits paid at 100% of the charges raised by the public hospital. Identical floor at every approved insurer.
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Out-of-hospital medical
GP, specialist, pathology and imaging benefits at a minimum of 85% of the MBS fee. A gap between the 85% minimum and the fee your provider charges is possible, and that gap is yours to pay.
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Prescription medicines
Benefits toward PBS-listed prescriptions, subject to a per-item cap and an annual maximum that differs by insurer.
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Emergency ambulance
Emergency ambulance transport is covered. Non-emergency transport is not guaranteed and varies by insurer.
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Waiting periods
Capped by the Deed: nil for specified outpatient MBS items and emergency treatment, 2 months for hospital and psychiatric care, 12 months for pre-existing conditions. Pregnancy: up to 12 months on products under 2 years, nil on products of 2 years or more. No insurer may exceed these caps.
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What is never included
Dental, optical and physiotherapy are outside the statutory minimum. They only exist as an optional extras add-on, and not every insurer sells one.
How to use this site
Three steps, no sales call
- 01
Check the floor, then the gaps
Confirm what the law already guarantees you, so you only pay attention to the things that genuinely differ between insurers.
- 02
Shortlist on what you'll actually use
Gap-free GP network if you see a doctor often, extras if you want dental or optical, app and telehealth if you'd rather never phone anyone.
- 03
Price the shortlist
Compare live quotes for your exact visa dates. Don't just accept whatever your university pre-selected.
Guides
Working out the details
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What OSHC Does Not Cover: Waiting Periods, Extras, and the Treatments Students Get Wrong
OSHC exclusions come in two forms: services base cover never includes, and included benefits paused by waiting periods. Understand the difference.
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Unused OSHC refund complaint: what happened after three unanswered follow-ups?
Explains how an unused OSHC refund request led to three unanswered emails, assisted referral and a $529 refund in a de-identified case.
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Allianz OSHC hospital cover: shared public ward or a contracted private hospital?
Explains that Allianz Care Australia OSHC includes public shared-ward stays and private-hospital accommodation only where the hospital has a contracted rate through Australian Health Services Alliance.
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Can a Medibank OSHC dependant aged 17 use Online Doctor?
A Medibank OSHC dependant aged 17 cannot use Online Doctor, even though the service's stated age threshold is 16 or over.
Straight answers
Questions students actually ask
Is the cheapest OSHC policy risky?
No. Every approved insurer has to meet the same statutory minimum set by the OSHC Deed — public hospital cover, out-of-hospital medical benefits at a minimum of 85% of the MBS fee, PBS medicine benefits, emergency ambulance, and capped waiting periods. A cheaper policy is not thinner cover at the floor; it usually means a smaller gap-free network, fewer extras, or less support infrastructure.
Do I have to use the insurer my university suggests?
No. Universities have preferred-provider arrangements, and you are free to buy from any approved OSHC insurer instead. If you take out your own policy, you supply the policy number to the university and to Home Affairs yourself. Check your enrolment terms for the cut-off date before you decline the bundled option.
Does OSHC cover dental, optical or physio?
Not under the standard product. Those sit in an optional extras add-on, which only some insurers offer, and extras usually carry their own waiting periods and annual limits. If dental or optical matters to you, that is one of the few areas where insurers genuinely differ.
What is a 'gap-free' GP visit?
It means the clinic bills your insurer directly at the agreed rate and you pay nothing at the counter. It only applies at clinics inside that insurer's network — the network names differ by insurer, and coverage is much denser in capital cities than in regional areas.
Can I switch insurers mid-visa?
Yes. You can move to another approved OSHC insurer during your stay, and waiting periods you have already served are generally recognised by the new insurer for equivalent cover. Do not let the old policy lapse before the new one starts — condition 8501 requires continuous cover for the whole visa period.
Can I buy OSHC through CompareOSHC?
We are not an insurer. We publish product facts drawn from public sources so you can shortlist, and for Allianz Care, Medibank, Bupa and ahm you can get a quote and buy through the UNILINK online checkout. Operated by UNILINK Education Pty Ltd (ABN 50 152 187 650). General information only — not personal advice. Purchases are completed on a Flywire payment page. We may receive a commission from insurers; commissions do not influence our content or comparisons.