Students

Health Insurance for Students

Studying full-time? You can stay on your parents' cover until 25 — but there's a critical deadline you need to plan around before you leave their policy. Here's what every Australian student needs to know.

Age 25

When full-time students leave family policy

10%

Youth discount at 18–25 years old

2%/yr

LHC loading if you delay past 31

Students on Parents' Policies: The Rules

Most Australian private health funds allow dependent children to remain on a family policy until:

Age 21

If not in full-time study — you'll need your own policy by this age.

Age 25

If you're in full-time study — most funds extend cover to 25 for full-time students.

Age 31 (some funds)

A small number of funds allow dependants to 31 if studying — check your parents' policy PDS.

Don't leave a gap

When you leave your parents' policy, get your own cover before you come off theirs. A gap in cover — even a few weeks — can affect portability of waiting periods. Your served waiting periods transfer to your own policy if you switch without a break.

The LHC Deadline: Why Students Need to Plan Ahead

Even if you stay on your parents' policy until 25, you need your own hospital cover by 1 July following your 31st birthday to avoid LHC loading. The time between leaving your parents' policy and your 31st birthday is the window to get your own cover in place.

The good news: if you're 18–25, you get the maximum 10% youth discount on your hospital premium. Getting your own policy at 22 or 23 when you leave your parents' cover means locking in that discount early.

What Cover Do Students Actually Need?

Best starting point for students

Bronze hospital + basic extras. Bronze covers accidents, bone/joint, ENT, and 18+ clinical categories — realistic risks for a young active student. Basic extras adds dental and optical. At the youth discount rate with the government rebate, this typically costs $70–$100/month† for a student under 25.

†Estimated after government rebate (Base tier, income ≤$101,000) and 10% youth discount. Actual premiums vary by fund, state, and policy. Youth discount info

Get set up before you leave your parents' policy

Our agents find the best student Bronze cover — with your youth discount and government rebate applied — and transition you off your parents' policy with no waiting period gaps.

Get student cover →

International Students: OSHC

International students on a student visa are required to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — a separate product from Australian domestic private health insurance. OSHC is mandatory under visa conditions and must be maintained for the full duration of your student visa.

OSHC covers hospital and some medical services but is different from domestic private health insurance in terms of coverage scope, fund options, and waiting periods. If you transition from a student visa to permanent residency, you can move from OSHC to standard Australian private health insurance.

Common Questions

I'm 23 and still on my parents' policy — should I get my own?+

If you're in full-time study and your fund covers dependants to 25, you can stay until then. But getting your own policy now locks in the 10% youth discount and builds serving time on waiting periods. It's not a bad idea to make the move early.

Do I need to tell my parents' fund I'm a full-time student to stay on their policy?+

Yes — most funds require proof of full-time student status (enrollment letter) to extend cover past age 21. Check the fund's specific requirements.

Can I get extras-only cover as a student to save money?+

Extras-only cover does not count toward the LHC requirement. If budget is very tight, the lowest-cost Bronze hospital policy is a better choice than extras-only — it protects your LHC position and qualifies for the youth discount.

I graduate next year — what should I do about health insurance?+

When you finish full-time study, you leave the "student" category. Check with your parents' fund whether your dependant status changes. If so, get your own policy before you age off to maintain portability of waiting periods.