Mr Anderson

Im just wondering as i went in to the local docs today to register (private not bulk billing) and asked for the future as ive had a valve replacement 5 years ago what i do in the future as i used to go for yearly checkup with a cardio at the hospital in Manchester and eventually(in 10-15 yrs time) im gonna need a new valve as this one wears out as its a human valve)

The receptionist said that id need to see a specialist cardio at a cost once a year, and then if i didnt have medical insurance id have to foot the bills for the heart op and aftercare. Is this true?

Please only answer if you are fully aware of the practise of Medicare thoroughly and/or have had a heart operation within public health system and not just because you have health insurance and think you know a bit.

If you have to go through a health insurance then which is the best for heart patients as i dont care about my teeth or back etc.

Thanks for any answers. Please make them relevant to my question and no debates on which is bertter private or public etc as i am happy going public if i dont have to pay (well i will pay a medicare levy)

Alan

poppyjasper

Hi Alan
I'm going to tell you what happened to my step-dad, I dont know much about medicare as we havent arrived yet but my parents have lived in Aus for 10yrs and have never had med ins.

6yrs ago Ivor (stepdad) had a heart attack in Brisbane, was rushed to hospital etc etc. Never had any probs before, fairly young (50), non smoker etc. Came out the blue although they had returned from the UK 5 days before hand.

Anyhow, he got better and they moved to Alice Springs a few weeks later (dont know how many but could find out) as he had a job there. They were due to leave the day after it had happened. Consider themselves lucky as its a 5 day drive to Alice and you dont see many people along the way.

Once in Alice he obviously must have had to see a Doc and they sent him for an angiogram (sp?). They flew him to Adelaide for this. He was to have the angiogram and depending on the results they were going to put a stent (stunt??) in if they could otherwise he would need a by-pass op.
He had the stent put in and thankfully didnt need a by-pass op.
He flew back a few days later.

6yrs on he's fine, does manual job, and is fit & well.
He does take heart tablets but I have no idea what they are and how much he pays for them, again I can find out.

I do know that he never paid anything for the trip to hospital in Adelaide and he thinks if he was still in the UK he would be dead by now I think this is because he was treated so quickly in Aus and thinks he would have had to wait mths (yrs?) in the UK.

Sorry to have gone on a bit and I know you only wanted relevent answers but if there is anything you would like me to ask my mom & Ivor about what happened to him then I can.

Good Luck
Sam

itsjustmee

My Husband has had stents put in and had a bypass opp and did not pay anything

Dorothy

You can see a private cardiologist and pay annually for the pleasure or ask your GP to refer you to a cardiologist who bulk bills. Just ask to be referred to a cardio clinic in the public hospital nearby. Once you are deemed to need the surgery you will go on a wait list at the public hospital and will have your operation when your name comes up. You may not necessarily have the surgeon you have been seeing for the past few years, but you will have a fully trained cardiac surgeon.

I worked in the public children's hospital in the neurology department in Adelaide and that is exactly how surgery was done there. The neurosurgery department was very small, so it was likely that the patients had seen all of the specialists at least once before they were operated on. One of the neuros was a private practicing doctor in the public hospital, so patients had to pay a gap payment to see her. It was (if memory serves) about $20 per visit. If patients prefered to see someone who builk billed they could request one of the other consultants instead.

For a relatively low monthly payment you can get private cover which will give you the security of knowing who your surgeon will be and probably getting your surgery quicker.

Hope this helps.

Mr Anderson

Thats exactly the advice i needed thankyou bvery much

And thanks to those before you who answered also. I have been told medicare is streets ahead of the uk. I found the uk nhs to be fantastic. I suppose i was lucky as the manchester area has some of the best hospitals in thier field in the Uk especially christies for cancer wythensahawe for heart and hope for brains as well as manchester eye hospital and al were less than 5 miles from my house

all the best

al