How to choose an OSHC provider

The floor: what's the same everywhere, by law

Every OSHC policy sold by any of the five currently-approved insurers has to meet the minimum benefits set out in the government's Deed for the Provision of Overseas Student Health Cover, currently running 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028. That means: in-hospital treatment covered at up to 100% of the MBS fee in a shared ward at an agreement hospital; out-of-hospital GP and specialist visits covered at the MBS benefit rate; pharmaceuticals covered up to $50 per item, capped at $300 a year for a single membership ($600 for a family); and full cover for medically necessary ambulance transport.

Dental, optical and physiotherapy are excluded from every OSHC product, at every insurer, because the deed doesn't require any of them to cover it — it's an extras add-on everywhere, not a gap in one insurer's product compared to another's. If a comparison anywhere claims one insurer's OSHC "covers more" at this baseline level, that claim doesn't square with how the deed actually works.

The deed also caps what agents can earn on OSHC

One structural fact worth knowing as a comparison shopper: Clause 16 of the current OSHC Deed caps payments to third-party agents at 12% of the total premium a student pays for their OSHC policy. That's relevant to anyone comparing quotes through an agent, broker or comparison site, since it puts a ceiling on how much of your premium can go toward distribution costs rather than cover — a genuine, if easy-to-miss, consumer protection built into how the whole category is regulated.

This cap applies specifically to OSHC. OVHC, the equivalent product for non-student visa holders, sits outside the deed's scope, and isn't subject to the same cap or minimum-benefits structure — a separate product with its own rules, even when sold by the same insurer.

What actually differs: direct billing and claiming apps

This is where the real, checkable differences between insurers live. Allianz publishes a specific figure of 700+ direct-billing providers; ahm publishes 1,000+ providers across 300+ direct-billing clinic locations, found through a GPS-based app finder. Bupa markets its "Members First" network as one of the largest in the category, without a comparable published number. Medibank and nib each describe direct-billing arrangements and app-based claiming without a specific published provider count found in this research.

The practical takeaway: a specific published number is more checkable than a general size claim, but neither tells you whether your own regular GP or preferred clinic is actually in a given insurer's network. Using each insurer's provider-finder tool for your own suburb or campus is the only way to get a real answer for your situation, rather than comparing headline network claims against each other.

What actually differs: waiting-period detail

Pregnancy/obstetrics and general pre-existing-condition waits are broadly standard across all five insurers at 12 months, with some insurers waiving the pregnancy wait on longer policies (Allianz and Bupa at 24 months; Medibank at 24 months, with an added miscarriage/termination carve-out). Psychiatric-condition waits are where the real spread is: a standard 2-month wait is the baseline (Allianz, ahm), Bupa currently reports not enforcing its equivalent wait, Medibank reports no wait at all for in-hospital psychiatric treatment, and nib's rules are the most layered of the five, involving a standard wait plus specific carve-outs and an optional Mental Health Waiver.

If a specific waiting period matters to your circumstances — mental health cover is the clearest example — it's worth reading the actual current policy document or Cover Summary from each insurer you're considering, rather than relying on a headline comparison, since insurers describe these terms as current practice that can change rather than a fixed permanent guarantee.

Extras, OVHC, and product tiers

Allianz and Medibank each sell two named OSHC tiers (Standard/Essentials and Comprehensive/Essentials respectively); Bupa, ahm and nib each sell a single product. All five also sell OVHC for non-student visa holders, with Bupa and nib each offering a second, more specifically targeted OVHC-adjacent product (Bupa's Explorer Visitors Cover; nib's underwriting of the separate IMAN Australian Health Plans brand).

Extras cover — dental, optical, physiotherapy — sits outside OSHC entirely and is a separate add-on decision at every insurer, worth pricing and comparing on its own terms rather than folding into the OSHC comparison.

A simple framework for comparing

Given the deed floor is identical, a practical comparison order is: first, check whether your regular GP, preferred clinic or campus health service is in each insurer's direct-billing network for your specific location; second, if a particular waiting period matters to your situation (commonly psychiatric or pregnancy-related), read the current terms from each insurer directly rather than relying on a summary; third, decide whether a tiered product (Allianz, Medibank) or a single simpler product (Bupa, ahm, nib) suits how much choice you want; and finally, get a live quote from your shortlist for the same cover dates, since none of the five insurers publish a general public rate card.

Migratio's own OSHC comparison page walks through the five insurers side by side using this same framework — worth using as a starting point once you've narrowed down which specific differences matter most to you.

How we wrote this article

Cover requirements are set by the government OSHC Deed, so minimum cover is similar across insurers — differences are in service, networks and extras. This is general information, not advice; check the insurer's current policy documents.

Migratio may earn a commission if you take out cover through links on this site; that never changes how providers are presented.

Is one OSHC insurer's minimum cover actually better than another's?

No — the minimum benefits are set by the government's OSHC Deed and are identical across all five currently-approved insurers. Any real difference sits above that floor, in service, networks and specific policy terms.

What should I actually compare between OSHC insurers?

Whether your regular GP or clinic is in each insurer's direct-billing network for your location, the specific wording of any waiting period that matters to your situation, whether you want a tiered or single-product structure, and a live quote for your actual cover dates.

Is there a cap on what agents can earn selling OSHC?

Yes. Clause 16 of the current OSHC Deed caps third-party agent commission at 12% of the total premium paid. This applies to OSHC specifically; OVHC sits outside the deed's scope.

Does OSHC cover dental, optical or physiotherapy at any insurer?

No. That's excluded from OSHC across all five approved insurers, because the government deed doesn't require it. It's a separate extras add-on everywhere, not something to shop around for within OSHC itself.

Where can I compare all five OSHC insurers directly?

Migratio's OSHC comparison page sets out the five current insurers side by side. Getting a live quote from your shortlist for the same cover dates is the only way to see current pricing, since no insurer publishes a general public rate card.