memsgg

Hi, everyone

I was a 457 visa holder, and I applied for permanent visa on 15 July 2008, and got the permanent visa in 2 June 2009.

I got to know I was eligible for the Medicare immediately after I applied for the permanent visa. That means I should have been covered by Medicare since 15 July 2008. BUT, I didn't know that , and I continued to pay personal health insurance (IMAN) by myself for 11 month, that was around $1500! How stupid was me!

I know a way to claim some money back by Medicare levy exemption. But I am confused that the question 9 in the application form for the Medicare levy exemption certification:

9. Which period during the financial year were you (and your dependants) not entitled to Medicare benefits?

I think the period should be from 1/7/2008 to 2/6/2009, but the operator from the Levy Exemption Certification Unit told me the period should be from 1/7/2008 to 15/7/2008.

Anyone can tell me which period is correct?

Thanks in advance!

ABCDiamond

From what you have said, 15th July 2008 is the correct date that you were eligible for Medicare, and therefore 1/7/2008 to 15/7/2008 is the period that you were not entitled to Medicare benefits.

However, I would have thought that most people here would be eligible for the whole year, due to the recripocal rights.

memsgg

thanks for you reply.

I have no recripocal rights because I am from China.

But, I am confused of the words of 'entitled' and 'eligible' in the question 9:
Which period during the financial year were you (and your dependants) not entitled to Medicare benefits.

I thought 'eligible' means someone has the right to do but haven't done, while 'entitled' means someone have enjoyed the benefit.

Am I right?

bcworld

I would say no...'eligible for' and 'entitled to' have effectively the same meaning.

memsgg

thanks

my poor english

JAJ

It also may trigger the 1 year period to take out private health insurance without incurring the Lifetime Health Cover loading, if aged 31 or more.

memsgg

Sorry, I don't understand your saying, can you please give more information, thanks.

ABCDiamond

Lifetime Health cover loading
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."

Migrants who become eligible for Medicare on or after 23 April 2004 do not pay a Lifetime Health Cover loading if they purchase hospital cover by the later of:

• the 1 July following their 31st birthday, or
• the first anniversary of the date they became eligible for Medicare.

torcraw

All current documentation and websites from the government have clarified that the deadline to avoid LHC loading is actually:

Source: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/info...s/lifetime.htm

Also, see the following Australian Government brochure and the section "new migrants"
http://tinyurl.com/nan7qw

One of the examples in this brochure section:
So it's not the date that one becomes "eligible", it's when they actually go to the Medicare office to register that is the key date for determining the one year period.

memsgg

yes, the date is the key.

For the deadline to avoid LHC loading, they clarify that it's not the date one becomes "eligible", it is when they actually go to the Medicare office to register.

However, for my case, why Medicare levy exemption unit told me my exemption period is determined by the date when I become "eligible", not the date when I applied for the Medicare card? It is ridiculous, isn't it?

ABCDiamond

There is still confusion....

Look at this example
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ma...ers-affect.htm

So we have two different examples from government publications.

The question will be: Which one will the relevant department go by, when they look at you.

Take a copy of the "Hanh" example to try to over-ride the "Monique" example

torcraw

@ memsgg - My earlier post (9) was only responding to ABCDiamond's post about LHC (lifetime health cover) loading.

It did not apply to your (memsgg) situation in the first message of this thread regarding getting a refund for the 1.5% medicare levy during the period that you were ineligible. But from an accounting point of view, it makes sense that you have to pay the levy from the date of eligibility, it's a form of income tax to pay for public Medicare, it's not something that's optional.

@ ABCDiamond - yeah, you're right, and it's on the same bloody website! Confusing! I have a feeling though that there was a change in policy on the LHC deadline at some point (the privatehealth site mentions that new legislation was passed in March 2007), and that the web page you linked to was written a long time ago and they haven't updated it, judging by the dates they use.
That page (your link) uses the years 2000 through 2005 in its examples, while the physical brochure (the pdf file)'s examples use dates from 2008 through 2011.

As well, the brochure's examples are backed up by the government's private health site (the other link I posted earlier).

ABCDiamond

Excellent point