BillBart1

I may be being stupid but if PR & entitled to Medicare, why would you also need to take out private medical insurance?

Is Medicare different to health services recieved in UK?

Thanks

Bill

Jonahs_mummy

Here;s a good reason.... my mum (who already lives in Aus) needs a LOT of work doing on her teeth... to be approx about $5000 worth of work.... unfortunatly she has discovered that Medicare only offers $500 towards dental...... Luckily she had private insurance that will cover it!

Claire

BillBart1

thanks Claire,

I didn't realise!

Any idea how much the private insurance is?

Bill

fraser

It'd be cheaper to fly to S.E Asia have a holiday and have it done

BillBart1

Thats what wife said! lol

Bill

Sandra

Your Mothers private medical cover will pay $5000 dental work???

Please let me know asap the name of this cover???


I have one 14 yr old - total cost to date $6500, (might be considered cosmetic) and I have a 12 yr old with a hell of a mouth (frankinstein) cost to date $8500........and I do not get bugger all back on medicare.

SO please let this site tell me where? I am going wrong ....everyone keeps telling me it is cheaper.......but in the UK I would get all this dental care free for my children. but I am not here???? Come on argue back?

I also earn a hell of a lot less here in real terms ...... so for the first one back who can afford it ....they can pay for my private medical next yr!!!!




sand

Jonahs_mummy

Hey guys

I just re-read the email from mum & she says that her private medical cover actually covers $2000 of the cost... sorry I misread it there....


She thought about going to the middle east where she lived for a few years to get it done but feels more comfy to stay in Aus where she has the support network.....

Sandra

SO basic facts....take out private medical care as sson as you arrive, better rates via the government (rebates etc etc bollocks) esp under 30.

The reciprocal agreement is nice while you are settling in for a few months, if something nasty happens then you bear it, eg broken arm (which cast do you pay for $30 max ((for what you need)) so that is easy!), D&C for adult female (cause 38+ things are not quite right, $550, but add on all the other tests and visits before?)

The Minute YOU LAND.............get your medical coverage sorted

and if you get a job or transfer with a job

GET YOUR MEDICAL COVERAGE SORTED

and could we all get this discussion started so I know next yr how to get the best coverage

Cheers (she who pays through the nose) $300 a month Min Sandra

jad n rich

Watch your income you only need to earn 50 single 100 family ie both working and if you dont have private you will be slugged extra tax as a penalty.

I didnt know medicare covered any dental? it certainly does not cover fillings etc.

Privates have these complicated limits basically the longer your in it the better off you are when making a cliam with the dental side of things.

With 3 kids we have claimed back most of what the premium costs each year, current fund $2580 a year, usually on dental and glasses, you will miss the NHS if you have kids here

BillBart1

OMG

Bill

fraser

So do kids get nothing free. If so I'll have to lose them on the stop over

GLR

As already mentioned you have to pay an extra 1% on your income tax if you don't have private health insurance. You don't have to earn a huge amount for it to be cheaper to take out budget private health cover rather than paying the 1% Medicare levy.

Cheers

GLR

ABCDiamond

I had medical insurance for the first year I was here, but didn't bother to renew it after I spent a few weeks in hospital.
I found out that if i used the medical insurance, I would have to pay the gap, (the difference between total cost and the insurance payment), but if I didn't use it, then I didn't need to pay anything at all, as it was then covered 100% under Medicare

Medicare will cover the cost of some Dental X-Rays, but not normally the individual ones the Dentists do. The full mouth ones, where you are referred to an XRay place, are often covered under bulk billing.

Most Private Insurance Policies have annual limits on cover, so check the benefits section of the policy before signing up if you are concerned by this.

eg: MBF http://mbf.com.au/main/products/health_cover/families/
The dental cover under MBF Everyday Extras allows annual limit of:
Preventive dental • No Limit
General dental • $300
Major dental • $300 and Orthodontic treatment not covered.
or
MBF Classic Extras
Preventive dental • No Limit
General dental • $300
Major dental • $800 and • $2,000 Lifetime Limit on orthodontics



I broke my ankle about 3 years ago, it was looked at by the local GP, no charge, X-Rayed locally, No Charge, Plastered at local hospital, no charge, and then I had follow up physio at the local hospital, again no charge.
But then, I live in an area where some doctors bulk bill.

In other areas, some payments may have to be made, at about 20% of the doctors fee.

I would like to see a government here bring in free prescriptions for children though. It's about time child free people subsidised us parents

Something I just read on the MBF site:
Please note, however, that extras cover on its own does not avoid the Lifetime Health Cover loading or the additional 1% Medicare levy .

vickymills

In the UK I paid £90 a month for health cover, I kept it up as I had a back injury that needed a lot of treatment and it was better to pay that and get quick care than wait in pain on the NHS.

Here we have no cover so far (waiting to see what hubby gets with new job), cant say I've missed the cover.

The bubba gets more care than he did in the UK, free clinic at the Redlands I go to and they had a concern over his head they called the paediatric guy down and we saw him withing 10 mins - no charge (there was no problem). Bubba requires some physio, again no wait and no charge.

I saw a gynae and got most money rebated back from medicare, quick service and I didnt mind the small cost.

We had to call a doc out during the night, didnt pay for the meds and most of the cost was rebated.

I dont mind the small costs at the docs for the service we get.

And dont start me off on prescription charges my Dads a pharmacist back in the Uk :-)

I just think lets put it in perspective here, there are lots of people the world over who get no real medical care (I'm thinking 3rd world here) and so I am grateful that I live a life where my family and I get good medical care.
Haved lived in Eastern Europe where I was told there were no asthmatics, I questioned why? basically they couldnt afford to buy the drugs for full RRP so they died if it was severe. Being asthmatic myself it made me grateful I recived my drugs for free and even when I ran out of my UK supply I was in a postion to be able to afford the full RRP of them in that country.

jad n rich

No some stuff is free or subsidised.

Doctors some bulkbill then its free, ours doesnt out of pocket about $20 a pop.

Specialists we pay between $160 and $300 a visit get about 67 or 87 dollars back.

Prescriptions, pay for kids and adults.

Glasses, $300 to anywhere upwards but got $250 on the private back.

Dentist, Qld, kids under 16 can go to a dental caravan that arrives every 12/18 months, only for basic fillings extractions. Orthodontics, theres many threads on that one.