Skip to contentSkip to footerSkip to chat
Waiting periods are an important part of any health insurance policy. They define how long you need to wait before you can access benefits for certain services. As an international student with Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), your waiting periods begin on the day you enter Australia (or the date you start your membership, whichever is later).
3 minute read
Published 18 January 2024
If your OSHC policy is less than 24 months, a standard 12-month waiting period applies for pregnancy-related services, including childbirth, miscarriage and termination of pregnancy, and outpatient pregnancy services such as ultrasounds or blood tests.
There is no waiting period if your policy is 24 months or more.
Waiting periods indicate a specific length of time you need to wait before your health insurance will help cover the cost of a service. They apply to all new health insurance members (or existing members who have upgraded their cover). If you’re switching to Bupa OSHC from another insurance provider, we will honour any waiting periods you’ve already served on your previous policy.
Waiting periods don’t prevent you from getting medical care – they just determine your eligibility for benefits. There are no waiting periods for standard GP (general practitioner) appointments, so if you’re feeling unwell, don’t hesitate to go see a doctor. OSHC members can also access 24/7 online consultations through Blua, with no waiting periods and 100% of costs covered^.
A 12-month waiting period also applies for pre-existing conditions. A pre-existing condition is any health condition, ailment, or illness of which there were signs or symptoms in the 6-month period ending on the day your OSHC cover starts (or in the 6 months before upgrading to a higher level of cover with us) even if your condition wasn’t diagnosed or known by a doctor.
If you get sick while travelling to Australia, this could also be classified as a pre-existing condition. This 12-month waiting period applies to all new health insurance members (or existing members who have upgraded their cover).
The standard two-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions, ailments or illnesses of a psychiatric nature is not enforced by Bupa on Overseas Student Health Cover until further notice.
If you see a specialist doctor or need hospitalisation in Australia during the first 12 months of your Bupa membership, we’ll need to check if this relates to a pre-existing condition.
Ask your doctor to fill out this medical certificate (PDF, 62KB) during your consultation. Another doctor, appointed by Bupa, will then review the information and decide whether your treatment relates to a pre-existing condition. This may affect your eligibility for benefits on that service.
