Tourist Health Insurance Australia
Compare different types of health insurance for tourists visiting Australia through Savvy.
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If you're planning a trip to Australia as a tourist, it's important to consider purchasing health insurance to protect yourself in case of an unexpected medical issue. As a tourist, you probably won't be covered by Australia's public health system, known as Medicare, so having adequate insurance can be essential for your peace of mind.
Explore the benefits of tourist health insurance here with Savvy and get a range of quotes from a panel of reputable insurance companies to compare online. You can get your Overseas Visitors Health Cover sorted out through us today.
What is tourist health insurance and how do I get it for my trip to Australia?
Tourist health insurance is designed to cover visitors to Australia for a range of medical services, including hospitalisation, emergency care and ambulance transport. Such insurance is commonly known as Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) and is available from a large number of health insurers in Australia.
Buying adequate OVHC is compulsory for anyone visiting Australia on a subclass 600 visa, which allows tourists to visit for up to 12 months, but not to work in the country. It can cover several different types of health insurance and a variety of basic medical expenses including:
- Hospital cover, which helps with the cost of treatment in a public hospital
- Ambulance cover, which covers the costs of both air and road emergency transport to hospital
- Medications that are part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- Treatments included on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)
This is the basic minimum health insurance you’ll require under the Australian Government’s 8501 visa condition. However, there are different levels of OVHC available, some of which can offer more comprehensive benefits which are usually only available with an extras health insurance policy.
You can compare health insurance policies which may be suitable for your needs as a tourist from our panel of health funds. All you need to do is fill out a simple online form providing information about yourself and the level of cover you want. From there, a specialist will contact you to discuss which health insurance may be best for your needs as a tourist and assist you in the process of obtaining coverage.
How do I compare the benefits offered by health insurance for tourists?
There are several areas to compare when you’re looking at tourist health insurance. Ask yourself these questions when comparing policies:
- Does the policy include coverage for ambulance transport, whether by air or road?
- Is there an excess payment required if you are hospitalized, and if so, what is the amount of the excess?
- Does the policy have a limit on the overall benefits that can be claimed?
- Does the policy cover the cost of visiting a general practitioner (GP)?
- Can the policy be used to cover additional medical expenses beyond hospitalisation, such as dental and optical services?
- What services are included or excluded in the extras cover?
- Is there a waiting period before you can make a claim for certain extras benefits?
- Does the policy have any provision for repatriation to your home country in case of severe illness or death?
These are some of the main comparison areas to think about, particularly when deciding if extras cover is worth including in your tourist health cover package, and which policy offers the best health insurance for your needs.
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Savvy is partnered with Compare Club Australia Pty Ltd (AFS representative number 001279036) of Alternative Media Pty Ltd (AFS License number 486326) to provide readers with a variety of health insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from Compare Club each time a customer buys a health insurance policy via our website. We don’t arrange for products to be purchased from these brands directly, as all purchases are conducted via Compare Club.
Savvy’s comparison service is provided by Compare Club. Compare Club compares selected products from a panel of trusted insurers and does not compare all products in the market.
Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy.
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