jad n rich

Isnt the catch with that the safety net that its only the portion between the medicare rebate and the schedule fee.

But the schedule fee for specialist appointment for eg is about a third of what they actually charge. So still way out of pocket.

The only letter I got about safety net was to ask me if my kids were still dependent, apparently 17 year old working 12 hours a week at big rooster means no.

I just pay up. Like you I dont usually look sick, so you get medical staff who just assume you are a hypochondriac Once the rather bizarre numbers on the blood tests come up on the screen they pay far more attention.

They investigated MS because its in my extended family - cousins. I am still on the waiting list for the public hospital neurologist, its been about 18 months now the only communication is to ask if I still want to see one. I think yes, second opinion would be nice, the private guy really had no answers

Unspecified AI is not even easy to explain, its not like you have a name for the disorder, several conditions have been thrown around, none fit the bill exactly.

My cousin has MS, over 20 years!! still leads a very full life

carolinephillips

Yes there is life after diagnosis, but you have to put up with years of people thinking you are neurotic, or a hypochondriac. Glad your cousin is still leading a full life.

amy1985

if your working as a nurse do they provide health insurance as part of the job package or do you have to get it yourself still?

Pollyana

Possibly if you are working for a private hospital, but generally no. If you want health insurance, you pay for it.

amy1985

thanks. just a note about conditions. my sister was misdiagnosed a blood disorder as her symptoms are not typical it wasnt until needing treatment and becomming really ill that shes correctly identified. sometimes symptoms are not always present or typical as after all were individual. I hope u get a diagnosis as its uncertainty thats the worse. it also gives you in a way legitamisey to outsiders. all I can say is forget them. you know you best and at the end of the day your luving through it so tell them to sod off and develop some empathy from me. just because u cant see something doesnt mean its not happening. we dont see plants producing oxygen but its happening. it does make it harder for you sadly as theres too many narrow minded people in the world

spouse of scouse

Sorry to hear about the health stuff. AIs can be so bloody hard to diagnose. Mine's RA and I was on prednisolone for nearly a year. I hated it, because it made me ravenously hungry - eat eat eat!! I was weaned off it and the munchies thing settled down. Now it's just a self-administered weekly injection of methotrexate (devil drug!).

Re the Medicare safety net, like Caroline we reached that but quite early this year, about June I think. Just one MRI, bilateral hips, cost $1,000 and there are no bills given, it's pay up front or you don't get it done. That was before I'd reached the safety net, and only got about $300 back from Medicare. Private health insurers give you nothing for GP or specialist visits, or for investigations like MRI, CT scan etc.

Since being on the safety net, my out of pocket expense for a specialist I see regularly, is only $17! He charges $255 a visit and I get back $238 every time. Such a huge help.

The changes to the Medicare system might be Abbott's proposal that people who were previously bulk billed for their GP appointments, such as pensioners, people on healthcare cards etc, must pay a $7 fee for each appointment. Mightn't sound much, but say you're a low income couple with 3 kids, and you all succumb to a bug/flu, a few days apart. $35 for the doctor's bills, then medication for each one - it would add up. Or a pensioner couple who need to visit their GP regularly - I'm always so admiring if a couple can make the pension stretch to the very basics, without added costs.