870 Visa Health Insurance Comparison

Are you an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen living in Australia? Then your overseas parents may be able to visit Australia for up to three or five years with an 870 (Sponsored Parent) visa. However, to be eligible for a temporary 870 visa, your parent or parents will need to hold adequate private health insurance before they arrive in Australia.

What type of sponsored parent health insurance meets the 870 visa requirements?

Applicants for a 870 visa must typically hold Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC), which provides coverage for medical expenses, hospitalisation, and emergency services equivalent to Medicare. 

The policy may also need to include repatriation benefits, which help pay for the cost of returning a person to their country of origin if they become seriously ill, need ongoing care, or pass away.

Can my parents use Medicare if they are on a 870 visa?

If your parents are from countries with reciprocal health care agreements (RHCAs) with Australia, they may have limited access to Medicare for emergency or medically necessary care. However, they may still need to hold OVHC to meet condition 8501 of their 870 visa. OVHC may also provide financial protection for a significantly wider range of medical treatments. 

Australia currently has RHCAs with:

• United Kingdom

• Republic of Ireland

• New Zealand

• Sweden

• The Netherlands

• Finland

• Belgium

• Norway

• Slovenia

• Malta

• Italy

Do I need to organise OVHC for my parents before they arrive in Australia?

Yes, your parent or parents will typically need to show they hold OVHC as part of the application process for an 870 visa.

Their visa application may be rejected if they do not hold current OVHC.

What does 870 visa health insurance actually cover?

OVHC inclusions may differ between insurance providers, but typically pays benefits or rebates towards the cost of an ambulance in an emergency, and may also contribute towards some prescription medications.

OVHC will also usually cover you for public hospital stays and the same sort of out-patient care an Australian would have covered by Medicare.

If you want cover for dental or optical care, or any remedial therapies such as physiotherapy or acupuncture, you might be able to upgrade your policy to include a level of extras or you can take out an extras health insurance policy with a local health fund.

What happens if my parents get sick and the insurance doesn't cover it?

If your parents require medical treatment – whether in or out of hospital – that is not covered by their OVHC policy, they will likely need to pay all costs out of their own pocket.

Will 870 visa health insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

It depends on the specifics of your OVHC policy. Most insurers define a pre-existing condition as any illness or ailment where you’ve experienced signs or symptoms within the six months leading up to the start date of your insurance policy. Some OVHC policies may allow you to claim on certain pre-existing conditions after you serve a pre-set waiting period (usually around 12 months).

However, depending on the terms of your policy, some pre-existing conditions may not be covered at all.

What are the waiting periods for 870 visa health insurance?

Waiting periods for OVHC are generally the same as waiting periods for other private health insurance policies for Australian residents, and may include: 

*This is a guide only. OVHC exclusions vary between insurers and some or all of the listed conditions may not be covered under certain OVHC policies. The experts at Compare Club can help you assess what is covered under specific OVHC policies. 

**Waiting periods may also vary between insurers.

Who applies for the 870 visa? Me or my child?

You must have an approved Parent Sponsor before lodging your 870 visa application, but you are the 870 visa applicant. Your child (or their spouse) is your Parent Sponsor. Your 870 visa application must be lodged within six months of your child being approved as a suitable Parent Sponsor. Your 870 visa application must be completed online.

How long will it take to process my 870 visa application?

Visa processing times vary with the time of year, and the complexity of your application. Standard processing times currently range from 71 days to up to 7 months, which is a broad range. You’ll find a guide to processing waiting times here. [https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times] Want to find a good value health insurance policy that meets your needs? Compare Club’s experts have saved over 239,000 Australians an average of $295* by helping them compare health cover in the last 10 years.

Sources

Department of Home Affairs

PrivateHealth.gov

Vista Migration 

Australian Unity 

*$295 based on 239,107 sold over the past 10 years (From 2015 to 2024).

Chris Stanley is the sales & operations manager of health insurance at Compare Club. With extensive experience and expertise, Chris is a trusted leader known for his deep understanding of health insurance markets, policies, and coverage options. As the sales & operations manager of health insurance, Chris leads a team of dedicated professionals committed to helping individuals and families make informed decisions about their health insurance needs.

Meet our health insurance expert, Chris Stanley

Chris's top health insurance tips:

• 1

  Australia’s public health system is world-class, but wait times for public hospitals can be long, inconvenient - and leave you living in constant pain while you wait.

• 2

  An appropriate private health insurance policy can speed up your surgery, relieving your pain sooner.

• 3

  Family health cover means your children are covered under the same policy as you.

• 4

  Many health insurance policies come with a 12-month waiting period for pregnancy-related cover, so it’s a good idea to get a family policy organized well before starting your family. This means your child will be covered from birth until at least their early twenties (depending on which health fund you select).