Guides
Working out the details
Plain-English explanations of the parts of OSHC that trip students up — written from the OSHC Deed and the insurers' own published product information.
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How much OSHC costs by visa length: comparing 12, 24, 36 and 48-month cover
Why a longer student visa means a longer OSHC premium period, why price per day is the only comparable unit, and how to get a live figure for your exact dates.
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Where your OSHC premium goes: the cost drivers insurers actually price on
The inputs behind an OSHC premium — cover length, insured group, waiting periods, extras and commercial approval — explained without inventing a price.
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Does OSHC cover dental, optical and physio? What extras actually add
OSHC is built on Medicare, so routine dental, optical and physio are not in the base product. Here is what the Deed actually puts in each bucket.
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Direct billing or reimbursement: why your GP visit cost you money
How an OSHC benefit, the MBS fee and the clinic's actual charge interact at a GP visit, and the three payment arrangements that decide who pays upfront and what gap remains.
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OSHC for couples and dependants in Australia: compare family cover before you buy
How OSHC family policies are structured for partners and children under the current OSHC Deed, what is identical across every insurer, and where the real differences sit.
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'Gap-free' explained: why an OSHC member can still face a private hospital bill
Where the Deed splits private hospital cover between contracted and non-contracted hospitals, and exactly where your own costs begin.
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OSHC comparison table 2026: cover levels, network and extras at a glance
A structural comparison of the insurers selling OSHC in 2026 — cover levels, network and extras — built only from published insurer and government sources.
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Mental health and OSHC: psychiatric hospital cover, the 2-month wait and telehealth GPs
What OSHC actually pays for psychiatric treatment, why the waiting period is 2 months rather than 12, and where telehealth and emergency care sit.
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Does your age change your OSHC price? Ageing rules and what to expect
What the OSHC Deed says about pricing, why age is usually not the loading people fear, and what the Deed does not actually permit.
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OSHC vs OVHC: which one does your visa actually require?
Overseas Student Health Cover and Overseas Visitor Health Cover sit in different regulatory regimes. Here is how to tell which one your visa needs.
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Common OSHC mistakes: starting cover late, letting it lapse, and the visa date mismatch
The three OSHC compliance failures that cost students their visa margin, each with the fix and the source that says so.
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Pregnancy and OSHC: the waiting period is not always 12 months
The current OSHC Deed ties the pregnancy waiting period to product duration, not a flat 12 months. Here is how the rule actually works.