adiford

Hi, abit of a long shot but i suffer with Coeliacs Diesaes and was woundering how it works on OZ i.e perscriptions and bying products?

esperanza

Some very general info - medicare will typically cover some expenses, but not everything. Your entitlement may vary depending on your nationality/visa type. I'm sure other people can be more specific for you.
Your other option is to take out private health insurance that will pay for everything, but be aware that most policies have 'waiting periods' during which you cannot claim for certain things - and they may have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, you'd have to check the small print to make sure that you got a useful policy.

Is coeliac's linked to gluten-intolerance? Because I've seen quite a few labels in supermarkets saying gluten-free etc. (Ignore this if I'm completely wrong!)

Famous 5

Not sure about the prescription side of things, but Australia seems to offer a good choice of food products for people with Coeliacs disease and restaurants usually have specific menu items that are suitable.

I have a friend from the UK who has Coeliacs disease and she raves about the choice here in Oz and how much better it is than the UK.

I'm sure you've already looked, but the Coeliac Society website might offer some useful info

www.coeliac.org.au

adiford

Well that was a SUPRISE!!!! i didn't expect to get any replies to this. Thanks to both of you. Are things also avaliable to buy in Supermarkets aswell, cause will need to get a supply of food in when we arrive??

freckles1970

Hi

I don't have coeliacs but I have a severe wheat allergy.

I lived in Oz for about a year previously and found that although wheat free products were not widely available in the supermarkets (this was 5 years ago so may have changed) they were readily available in health food shops with the likes of pasta, bread, biscuit products .

Hope this helps

adiford

Hi thanks for that it is usefull to know that there is going to be somewhere to get food when i get to OZ.

freckles1970

Also just a thought....OZ was certainly ahead of us on the whole rice snack products thing when I was there (rice crackers thai style was a particular favourite) and these are widely available and eaten!

Mantelis

A couple of people I work with have Coeliac and they don't have any problems. Eating out is good too, they find most chefs will knock up something suitable (one girl rings up beforehand if they are booking a particular place and checks) and I've noticed on a lot of menus that gluten free dishes are often on there.

I don't think you'll have any problems.

birdynumnum

Unless you move to some small outpost/town you should have no probs.
It seems to be getting more n more over here too. You can get gluten free breads, rice crackers etc
Labelling on foods isnt as stringent as the UK though but having said that, alot of stuff does say gluten free.
Also, health/whole food shops, again depending where you are usually have a good choice of stuff so I wouldnt worry on that score.
Just triple check with the airline though. I've been vegan for years and had times where they forgot my meal from Oz to UK

Gems

Hello,

Ive been looking into this and been told most places now stock it and its better quality than the UK! e.g I was told the bread is softer and not so cardboardy!

I went on Coles supermarket online shop. They had gluten free/wheat free bread and other items on it. Coles is one of the main supermarket chains.


Im quite confident it wont be a problem getting it. My son needs it, he is not Coelic its a trigger for his rare condition.(But cant eat it like you)

GEMS

esperanza

I can safely say that I haven't set foot in a healthfood shop since arriving six weeks ago! So the only place I would have seen any gluten-free labels would be in Woolies or Coles (supermarkets). The ones near us have a 'health food aisle', similar to what there was in Sainsburys before we left - I usually don't go down it now that I know my way around, but I accidentally ended up in it once or twice whilst I was still learning!
As others have said it will depend on where you are, but I would hazard a guess that you'll be fine as long as you are near a 'mainstream' shopping centre. I live in a fairly small town and there is plenty of choice here. (Well it's small by my UK standards. By aussie standards it's a booming metropolis! )

adiford

Hi thanks for that. We are looking at going to Adelaide, i have seen on the web that there are a few resturants in adelaide that serve gluten free food on the menu's so thats a good thing!

adiford

Hi thanks Mantelis, am feeling alot better now, knowing there isn't going tobe a problem. I can't belive the reponse i'm getting off here. Glad i asked the question now

sunbather

Gluten free products are readily available in both Coles and Woolworths. In fact the fresh sausages are cheaper and nicer than the Aussie ones

Princess Leia

I agree. I bought some gluten free sausages from Coles the other day and thought how nice they tasted.

I have a close friend who is coeliac and she comes over a lot to my house with her kids. It is not hard to find gluten free products in Coles - my local suburban one has a good range of flours, pastas, cake mixes and biscuits all gluten free.