JenJen

Ok so just thought i'd post the things we have found hard to do here as i'm wondering if other people have found the same or whether it's just circumstance and meeting bad luck.

Ok so we bought a car a week after arriving, due to everything else that was going on at the time we didn't try and register it with rta til last week, so filled the form in got down there with hubby and kids, when we were told I would need either a letter from a bank manager or someone else we know in NSW that had lived here for more than 12 months, the only people wwe could think of are the people whose holiday accomodation we're staying in but we only had a card from them and the paperwork we showed wasn't good enough. Anyway because hubby has contacts with work he said would he be able to fill the forms in again and register it under his name as he could get work to back him up or have a word at this holiday place, they said fine, he asked if I needed to come back as i'd bought the car and it was in my name on the paperwork, no he said you would just need to bring in your marriage license.
Anyway hubby did exactly what he was told and went back in yesterday to have his passport, medicare and some other id cards taken and he had to sit and wait til they contacted the ppl who run the holiday accomodation and til hubby could get hold of me to say they now needed written confirmation from us both that it was ok that my husband register the car.
He had to sit there for an hour and a half, he'd taken two of the kids with him to give me a break so he was really happy and the stupid man who'd told him what he needed to do from the other day wasn't there - conveniently, mind you I think hubby might have wanted to hit him.

Medicare, got these cards arranged in April as hubby was very unwell when we went to Melbourne to stay with friends, but as we aren't in permanent accomodation yet we hadn't changed the address from our friends, had to go to a radiology clinic last week and had the receptionist tear strips off me for not having anywhere permanent to live and said unless I could provide her with a permanent address we would be staying at they might have to cancel my appointment, i'd been very unwell and the local dr had asked for me to see them quite urgently, so explained this close to tears and she huffed at me sent me to sit down while she spoke to someone else and then while I was trying to deal with a child dispute (my kids were fighting) she called my name and then without givign me time to answer and stood up called my name again as if she'd been calling me for half hour and I was 6 years old.
The sonographer wasn't much better, she tore strips off me for not drinking enough liquids, though if I drank anymore I was going to pee, then instead of apologising she said oh maybe I can't see clearly cause your uterus is twisted. My youngest son was sitting quietly playing with his train and she kept looking at him like he was blowing a whistle down her ear.
Then they left me waiting til half hour after they were supposed to close, an hour after my appointment had finished, during which time they came and asked my name half a dozen times ( I as the only person there), and I heard them say oh I forgot she was still here - impossible cause my youngest had been screaming he was hungry for half an hour, yet I had to wait to pickup the results.
I don't understand bulk billing and had my head bitten off when I asked if they could explain it to me.
I don't understand what care i'm entitled to and what I do and don't have to pay for.

Centrelink went and waited there for nearly an hour only to be told we needed to go back and take in a list of paperwork which we hadnt taken cause we weren't told when we rang up we had to take anything with us and although i'm waiting for my tax file number we can't register with centrelink until it's through.

The realestate agents are incredibly unhelpful.
So are most of the shops you can haggle prices in, I had to haggle a price on a laptop which I thought I did well on from the price ticket but then hubby had been given a leaflet from there and when he checked the same system I picked up was cheaper in the leaflet than what I paid for it.
An as for the cashback thing OMG why not just take that price off the cost off things to begin with.

Nothing seems particularly clear cut and it's hard when all you have is the people advice to ask at these places and trust they know what the hell they're talking about, which evidently some don't and the rules seems to change slightly depending on who you speak to.

Anyone else found this and more ????

jad n rich

Jen, yep there is a lot of fluffing around, but you get used to the long winded round about ways. Medicare is complicated as basically there is not a set charge for anything medical, its up to the provider what they charge. Then medicare only pays a % on some things and that is a % of what they want to pay, not what is actually charged.

Bulk billing simply means the doctor/service does not charge you but medicare direct, this is often hard to find, one thing thats usually bulk billed is a child at a GP's surgery, or if the patient has a welfare card.

The way to understand it, is
1. ring the service before you go, ask their fees
2. ask if they bulk bill
3, ask if there is a medicare rebate
4, if medicare rebate is avail, you then take the paperwork to the medicare office and claim a % back.

Basically dental,optical, prescrptions have no medicare rebate at all. Specialists eg 140 bill you get 65 back, docs 55 bill you get 33 back, bloods x rays, scans, you have no idea how they will charge till you ask, medicare rebates a small portion of some but many things nil.

Hope thats clear as mud serioulsy it should help.

asher

Jen this is a tough time but don't worry it will soon be over you will be registered for everything and things will start humming along, it takes time and it's bureaucracy so expect more of it till you are done.

If people have a go at you politely let them know they are out of order If that doesn't work just cry at them with a baby on the way you should be able to do this at the drop of a hat

Take care love and try and keep your chin up