How to use this calculator
- Enter your full visa length in months — cover must run from arrival to visa expiry
- Pick single, couple or family cover
- Compare all five providers' totals for your exact stay
- Get a direct quote before paying — agent-bundled policies are often not the cheapest
OSHC is a visa condition (8501), not an optional purchase: every subclass 500 holder must carry it continuously from arrival to visa expiry, and a single uncovered day puts the visa itself at risk. Only five providers are government-approved — ahm, Allianz Care, Bupa, Medibank and nib — and all meet the same minimum standard. The difference is price and service.
For single cover the 2026 spread runs from about A$623 a year (ahm) to A$806 (Allianz Care). For couples the ranking flips — Allianz is cheapest at about A$4,597 a year while ahm jumps to A$5,400. Families see the widest gaps of all: nib charges roughly A$13,895 against Allianz's A$8,917 for the same standard of cover.
The base policy covers GP visits at 85–100% of the Medicare schedule, public hospital treatment in full, emergency ambulance and prescriptions up to about A$50 per script. It does not cover dental, optical or physiotherapy — Bupa is the only provider selling an extras add-on — and pre-existing conditions carry 12-month waiting periods across the board.
Two practical rules save real money. First, never auto-renew the policy your education agent bundled — direct quotes are routinely cheaper. Second, you can switch providers mid-visa at any time: the new provider transfers the remaining term and the old one refunds pro-rata, so loyalty buys you nothing.
OSHC stops at the border
Coverage applies only inside Australia. Trips home or holidays in Bali are not covered — carry separate travel insurance for any travel outside the country, including transit stops.