Originally Posted by Dorothy (Post 5662374)

Guess I should have looked at your location. Sorry.

Originally Posted by quoll (Post 5661828)

If you find a doctor you like and want to stick with, then yes, I would register with them. If you have copies of your medical records then take them along with you but unless you have a very ordinary medical history I would just start from scratch and let them build up a history from here. Obviously if you have a pre-existing condition or significant intervention in the past then give them as much info as possible so you dont have to reinvent the wheel.

Suggest that for your first appointment, you ask for a long appointment - it doesnt cost you that much more financially (get a better medicare return for a long appointment!) and you have more time to give them the background for important features in your past.

We have other sorts of practices where the doctors are less stable (ie you wont necessarily get the same doctors every time you visit) and they tend to bulk bill - around here they are called "suburb" medical centre. The others are more stable practices IMHO.

My parents were always able to get a medicare card for their long stays in Aus so I assume you will still be entitled to basic medicare. Private health insurance is essentially irrelevant for community based medicine - it is generally to cover hospital admissions. One thing that private medicine will do is give you some rebate on very very expensive medicines which are prescribed as essential over a certain amount otherwise you still have to pay the basic cost.