Bupa vs Allianz OVHC: What's Actually Different for 482/485/600 Visa Holders
Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) from Bupa and Allianz Care Australia compared for 482, 485 and 600-series visa holders: why OVHC has no shared OSHC-style floor, the $1,000,000 benefit minimum Home Affairs recommends, and each insurer's product structure. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 482, 485 or 600 visa?
- 0:18 OVHC has no shared OSHC-style floor
- 0:31 Home Affairs recommends:
- 0:42 Recommended caps
- 0:54 A recommendation, not a mandate —
- 1:08 Who's actually behind each product
- 1:21 Bupa has a 2nd product line
- 1:34 Same apps, same networks as OSHC
- 1:48 Switching brands = starting fresh
- 2:00 Check the actual policy document —
- 2:14 Where to read more
Transcript
On a 482, 485 or 600-series visa? You generally need Overseas Visitor Health Cover, not OSHC. Here's how Bupa and Allianz's OVHC actually differ.
OSHC has a government deed forcing a shared minimum across every insurer. OVHC doesn't. Bupa's and Allianz's OVHC products are each free to set their own terms.
But there is a Home Affairs recommendation. For insurance meeting visa condition 8501, it recommends a benefit limit of at least $1,000,000 per person, per year.
It also recommends ambulance cover at 100% of the charge not otherwise covered, and waiting periods capped at 12 months for pregnancy and pre-existing conditions, and 2 months for everything else.
That's a recommendation, not a mandate. OVHC products commonly meet it — but nothing forces every OVHC policy to, the way the OSHC Deed forces every OSHC policy to.
Structurally, Bupa's OVHC is underwritten by Bupa HI Pty Ltd. Allianz Care Australia's OVHC is managed by AWP Australia Pty Ltd, underwritten by Peoplecare Health Limited.
Bupa sells a second, separate product: Explorer Visitors Cover, aimed at certain non-working visa types rather than work-visa holders. Allianz sells a single named OVHC product.
Both insurers reuse their OSHC claiming infrastructure for OVHC. Bupa's OVHC runs on the same Members First network and myBupa app. Allianz's runs on the same direct-billing network and MyHealth app.
That's convenient if you're switching from OSHC to OVHC within the same brand. Switch brands during a visa transition, and you start fresh with a new app and network.
Because OVHC has no shared floor, inclusions and waiting periods genuinely need checking product-by-product, against each insurer's current policy document — not assumed from an OSHC comparison.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.
Short versions
- OVHC has no OSHC-style safety net (0:33)
- Bupa sells 2 OVHC-type products, Allianz sells 1 (0:32)
- Switching insurers mid-visa? Read this first (0:33)
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