sportsendurance

I was so surprised at the amount we would be charged for medical insurance that I wanted to post this. hopefully someone can tell me it's wrong and over priced but if not then it may be helpful for those contemplating on a move and concerned about finances.
We were quoted £130 per month (2 adults and 3 children under 6) which is almost as much as our council tax in the UK!
Sorry if this has already been posted recently

iamthecreaturefromuranus

My current cost, at a supposed discount through my employer, is $5200pa. Top cover for three adults and one child.

quoll

Our private health is around the $250 a month mark for top family cover with excess and we get it at base rate premiums even though we are over 60. So your L130 a month is ball park correct.

sportsendurance

Thanks,
Is it true that you will loose a permanent discount of about 20% if you don't enroll for insurance cover within the first two weeks of emigrating?

Brisbane bound

There is a time limit for that discount. We missed it as we weren't told about it but I did think it was a bit longer than 2 weeks. I thought it was 2 months for some reason but you need to check it out.

ABCDiamond

New migrants receive a grace period to purchase hospital insurance without incurring a Lifetime Health cover loading.
"A loading of 2 per cent on top of a member's premium will apply for each year a member's lifetime health cover age is above 30 when they first take out hospital cover."

The time limit is One year.

fish.01

Is optional though. If going to a big city public system is like NHS.

Lord_Farquar

But it is not free. Costs around $70 to see a GP.

fish.01

Your GP must drive three porches. Mine cost $10 and 80% of all GP visits in Australia are free. I would say a gap of $30 is more average for those who charge a gap. Point taken though that there a couple of more incidental payments that the NHS doesn't have but not $240/month worth. Still many free GP's, free hospitals, free specialists etc

Lord_Farquar

Is that before or after Medicare rebate?

ozhappy981

Depends where you live. If you live in an area that has bulk-billing doctors, it's completely free. (I have two bulk-billing surgeries near me.)

fish.01

Like a lot of them now they charge $10 at the counter and get the medicare rebate themselves. If yours doesn't it is probably is on the cards.

You never have to pay the full amount up front either. There are other options if you don't have the cash before getting the rebate.

Ozzidoc

Sounds like a good price to me.

ABCDiamond

Mine is free

As were all these:
My GP, who bulk bills, therefore no cost, charges $50 for people without a Medicare card.

Faircity

We worried about this when we came out and you do have ayear to make a decision on it....... I would also say though that you are not paying national insurance as such and we seem to pay less tax here than back in the UK so all in all I would imagine it pretty much evens itself out. Also I have to admit I earn at least 5KGBP more here than I did in the UK so it is all pretty relative in way. We know someone who works in the local health authority who told us not to worry about it too much as long as we have ambulance cover.