457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Jul 6th 2010, 5:17 am
#16
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
In our case the company took legal advice and the result was their laweyer interprated the regs as THEY had to supply health cover. So we got it free. Now i am with a different company and they supply it as standard to all staff.
Jul 6th 2010, 5:32 am
#17
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
As a slight aside, my company still provides cover for 457 holders as most of us are in senior positions and it counts as a recruitment and retention incentive.
Jul 6th 2010, 6:30 am
#18
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
That was on our 1st 457 in May 2008, changed company in November 2008 and everyone gets health cover anyway, so not an issue
Jul 6th 2010, 7:05 am
#19
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Originally Posted by paddyo
This is the crux of it to me and shows just how ridiculous DIAC is. If you are from a country that enables you to have Reciprocal Health Care and would get it upon arrival, then why do they insist on initial cover?? When we arrived in Australia on a 457, we had cover from our company. Our first day, literally!!!, we went to the beach and our boy fell down some huge steps at Maroubra Beach, we rushed him to the kids Hospital at Randwick and they were fine aboiut it all. All they needed was for me to show them a passport and it was fine, no medical insurance, no medicare, they were purely concerned with fixing the child, then sorting out the admin after.
The travel insurance sounds like a plan and I would investigate that option.
The travel insurance sounds like a plan and I would investigate that option.
Jul 6th 2010, 9:32 am
#20
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Jul 6th 2010, 12:22 pm
#21
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Because it's not based on nationality and Medicare have to determine eligibility, not DIAC.
Jul 6th 2010, 12:30 pm
#22
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Jul 6th 2010, 1:18 pm
#23
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
But it's not down to someone's opinion ... it's down to a Medicare assessment. Someone may think they're eligible when they are not.
Jul 6th 2010, 11:36 pm
#24
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
When we first came, yonks ago, France did not have a reciprocal agreement, BUT the Medicare rules stated that you had to be a UK RESIDENT (not citizen) to be eligible. They first said I couldn't get it as I have a French passport but after a few chosen words, and showing them proof of residency in the UK for the previous 5 years, they agreed to register me.
This could go either way. If you're a UK citizen but resident in a country that does not have the agreement, you wouldn't be eligible.
Jul 6th 2010, 11:48 pm
#25
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Its all about ease of access and use to me, I find the inconsistencies of some government departments here frustrating, wasteful and inefficient. Its often down to lack of job worth, lack of customer service values and complete lack of willing to question out dated methodologies.
Jul 6th 2010, 11:49 pm
#26
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
I agree with that.
When we first came, yonks ago, France did not have a reciprocal agreement, BUT the Medicare rules stated that you had to be a UK RESIDENT (not citizen) to be eligible. They first said I couldn't get it as I have a French passport but after a few chosen words, and showing them proof of residency in the UK for the previous 5 years, they agreed to register me.
This could go either way. If you're a UK citizen but resident in a country that does not have the agreement, you wouldn't be eligible.
When we first came, yonks ago, France did not have a reciprocal agreement, BUT the Medicare rules stated that you had to be a UK RESIDENT (not citizen) to be eligible. They first said I couldn't get it as I have a French passport but after a few chosen words, and showing them proof of residency in the UK for the previous 5 years, they agreed to register me.
This could go either way. If you're a UK citizen but resident in a country that does not have the agreement, you wouldn't be eligible.
Jul 7th 2010, 3:49 am
#27
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Sorry, don't understand, I was not talking about opinions. If you are from a country which is part of the RHCA with Australia and you have been residing in that country, passport will show proof, then you ARE entitled. Medicare just looked at my Passport Visa page and gave me card, no worries.
Jul 7th 2010, 3:56 am
#28
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
We were told the same (very apologetically by the manager of the Medicare office) - so we showed our NHS cards too.
Jul 7th 2010, 4:11 am
#29
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Re: 457 Health Insurance - suggestions/help needed!
Their website says this:
To enrol in Medicare you will need:
* your passport with a valid visa
* to provide, in some cases, identification showing you are enrolled in your country’s national health scheme.
If your application to enrol in Medicare is approved, you will receive an Australian reciprocal health care card in the mail.
How is 'some cases' defined??? What is the criteria for Medicare officials to know what 'some cases' are??
We have never been asked for our NHS cards, just our Visa stamped passports.
I'm not knocking you guys by the way, just really gets my goat, RTA has the same inconsistencies from office to office!! GRRRRRR