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Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Old May 26th 2010, 4:47 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by coolshadows
In oz you have to pay for ambulance cover (one way or another).

I guess if you are ever going to suffer a prolonged illness (and don't have any insurance) you're better off in the UK. If you going to remain reasonbly healthy, you're better off in Oz.
You pay for ambulance cover in the UK (one way or another).

If you have a prolonged illness in Australia you will be covered by Medicare.
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Old May 26th 2010, 5:13 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by Pine Cone
Interesting point!

We have a choice between Sydney or Melbourne, although we are swayed towards Melbourne at the moment.....sounds like it might be a better fit for us. Are people generally able to find bulk-billing doctors there or are they few and far between.....we are talking about family friendly suburbs (in the NE, E or S) here as we have school age children. One of our current problems in NZ is that due to the way our local primary care trust thing is funded it actually costs more to take our school age (6+) children to see a GP than is does for us as adults and when all of our kids are ill at once this can cost us a small fortune.
I wouldn't say I was qualified to comment on Victoria, but the general impression during the recent Federal medical budgeting was that Vic is reasonably well set up, whereas it's common knowledge that NSW is totally broken after years of incompetence.
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Old May 26th 2010, 6:37 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by DadAgain
yes - but in Qld that is included in your electricity bill (??? go figure?!) so its impossible not to have ambulance cover.
sorry, I was speaking more generally, not just about QLD.
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Old May 26th 2010, 6:44 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by Amazulu
You pay for ambulance cover in the UK (one way or another).
Yes, in the NI (as in you are taxed), so I mentioned it as the impression is made that you pay less tax in Oz - just highlighting that the cost may be elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Amazulu
If you have a prolonged illness in Australia you will be covered by Medicare.
So if you earn an above average wage, yet need to regularly see a chiropractor - you get it for free?
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Old May 26th 2010, 6:52 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by coolshadows
So if you earn an above average wage, yet need to regularly see a chiropractor - you get it for free?
No, are they on the NHS (I won't say free as you are paying for it really) in the UK? If they do come under NHS, what are your chances of getting a quick appoitment? Amd how long will this last given the state of UK finances?

Chiropractors are shysters for most things anyway.
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Old May 26th 2010, 6:59 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by Amazulu
No, are they on the NHS (I won't say free as you are paying for it really) in the UK? If they do come under NHS, what are your chances of getting a quick appoitment? Amd how long will this last given the state of UK finances?
Yes, I agree you pay via NI (tax).

I personally saw a physiotherapist for 8 months (for a dodgy knee). Got referred straight away, and didn't cost me a bean.

My point is that you're better off in oz (with less tax), but if you need to see specialists it might work out cheaper in the UK in the long run.

Regarding UK finances - it'll be all sorted in under 6yrs won't it? aren't they putting VAT up to 20% (and increasing the income tax threshold as a sweetener)?
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Old May 26th 2010, 7:09 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by coolshadows
Yes, I agree you pay via NI (tax).

I personally saw a physiotherapist for 8 months (for a dodgy knee). Got referred straight away, and didn't cost me a bean.

My point is that you're better off in oz (with less tax), but if you need to see specialists it might work out cheaper in the UK in the long run.

Regarding UK finances - it'll be all sorted in under 6yrs won't it? aren't they putting VAT up to 20% (and increasing the income tax threshold as a sweetener)?
Sure physio is done on the NHS - I had a dodgy knee too, but Chirpractors? My experience of getting an apointment with a specialist for a non-life threatening issue on the NHS has not been good.
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Old May 26th 2010, 7:15 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by Amazulu
Sure physio is done on the NHS - I had a dodgy knee too, but Chirpractors? My experience of getting an apointment with a specialist for a non-life threatening issue on the NHS has not been good.
My old boss used to see one regularly (I think for sciatica - and probably still goes), said it was all on the NHS.

Depends were you live. Some NHS trusts include it and some don't.
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Old May 26th 2010, 7:20 am
  #24  
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by mark213
Oh and where some things are "free" they are only free once Medicare pays you back 100% of the cost. You still have to fund the payment to the person. In some events medicare will write a cheque to the specialist, then post it to you, then you have to get it to the specialist along with any gap in the payment.

GP's: More like $66 before Medicare refund. And not sure about 80% bulk bill. Some bulk bill kids, some not. You have to really look and then you'll only get 5 minutes attention on bulk bill. I find that i usually can get an appointment on the same day at full price, unlike the UK.
I have often had 20-30 minute appointments on bulk billing. It would be a problem if they limited all appointments to 5 minutes, as everyone is bulk billed at my two local doctors surgeries. Those without a Medicare card were charged $50 the last time I noticed.

Originally Posted by Pine Cone
Should we be asking if they do they do bulk billing? (still trying to get head around how this works)
Bulk billing is where you pay nothing, and the Doctor sends the bill to the government.

If a Doctor fully bulk bills, they will not charge you, but they will get paid all of the scheduled fee direct from the Medicare.
Some Doctors wish to charge, say $50.00 or more, so this may happen:
The doctor will charge you say $50, and YOU claim 100% of the scheduled $33.55 fee back from the local Medicare Office. Net cost to you = $16.45
Examples of GP Bulk Billing rates:
24 Jun 2003 ... Only 68 per cent of doctors now bulk bill (www.parliament.nsw.gov.au)
10 Feb 2006 ... The national GP bulk-billing rate increased to 75.1 per cent (www.health.gov.au)
November 10, 2007 ... the rate of bulk billing by GPs, has dipped by 0.2 per cent of services to 78 per cent nationally. (www.smh.com.au)
And in 2010 it is 79.6% average.
GP Attendances Bulk Billed by State, March 2010
84.2% NSW
79.2% QLD
78.4% SA
78.4% VIC
74.8% TAS
72.5% WA
66.1% NT
47.0% ACT
 
Old May 26th 2010, 9:31 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

It can also be a case of knowing where to go. I work in a public hospital in the cardiology department, we bulk bill all heart tests and doctors can refer to us but often don't. The same goes for xrays, blood test, MRIs and probably a host of other procedures. Its down to the doc or specialist. I have had a host of MRIs for my medical condition and have never paid here at the hospital. I go to see my neuro and she bulk bills (lovely smart offices too) and have not ever seen patients pay on their way out. I do pay to see my GP however LOL.

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Old May 26th 2010, 10:47 am
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by mark213
Australia

....

Specialists: Not free at Public Hospitals. You pay them and get a refund from Medicare again depending on your circumstances how much you get back. Expensive everywhere else. In-patient hospital specialist costs are usually free (unless private). Out patient are Medicare refunded as rule.

....
Public hospital out patient specialist charges are totally free in Qld as far as I know...where have you been charged?
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Old May 26th 2010, 12:43 pm
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

so which is cheaper over a lifetime, National insurance + NHS dentist OR Private Health Cover + Oz dentist?
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Old May 26th 2010, 12:49 pm
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by coolshadows
so which is cheaper over a lifetime, National insurance + NHS dentist OR Private Health Cover + Oz dentist?
You would have to factor in that the average lifetime is a few years longer in Australia
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Old May 26th 2010, 1:38 pm
  #29  
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by coolshadows
so which is cheaper over a lifetime, National insurance + NHS dentist OR Private Health Cover + Oz dentist?
No Insurance + Oz dentist
 
Old May 26th 2010, 1:53 pm
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Default Re: Costs of medical care Oz vs UK or NZ

Originally Posted by ABCDiamond
No Insurance + Oz dentist
with a family of 4?
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