Jockson

Hi there,

I have been recently arrived to australia on visa 475 and staying in regional area. Could you please advice me, do i need to take medical insurance for my family as i am not eligible for government medical care. Is insurance is mandatory requirement or can i pay money from my pocket whenever i go hospital. Which is best option. Please guide me.

Thanks for your support.
Jock

markbhx

Everyone from the UK receives reciprocal medical treatment for doctors and hospitals. You need to apply for a temporary medicare card. If you need an ambulance however that will be $500 without private medical cover.

Private medical cover allows you to choose a hospital and consultant for planned operations and it can pay towards dental, optical etc.. should you want them. In the event of taking yourself down accident and emergency you get that free on medicare. If it's life threatening you get whatever surgeon/ doctor you're given from the medicare pool.

No its not mandatory

Swerv-o

This should be moved to the main forum area, not the Meet up area...


S

markbhx

You can move it with your mighty powers!!

Swerv-o

I have no such powers, merely the power to divert and frustrate the original intention of the thread


S

markbhx

By the power of grayskull?

Swerv-o

Thundercats Ho!

Pollyana

Its on the move.......

hoofie2002

...who will often be the same surgeon you could get privately anyway. The OP should know though that prescriptions are not fixed in price like the UK [although if you have a Medicare card there is some subsidy.] I pay $50 a month here for 2 BP medications.

Also if the OP earns over a certain amount of money [very relevant if he will be in mining] then Private Medical Insurance will offset the extra Medicare Levy he would pay.

Note that if you are NOT a British Citizen etc then you WILL have to buy Medical Insurance unless your country has a Reciprocal Agreement.

Dorothy

You're going to need to get medical insurance. Just one trip to hospital will likely cost all your savings and then some. An ambulance for my son in December was $441 for him to go just a few blocks. If we had to pay for his 3 day hospital stay, medications, doctors, etc, it would have run into the tens of thousands of $. Your baby could get sick and it would be a terrible decision to have to make whether you could afford to take her to the hospital if she were really ill. Go to this website where you can compare policies and prices.
Yes it is. The OP is not from a reciprocal agreement country. He is not entitled to Medicare.

Tramps_mate

Being from the Uk I get reciprocal care. But my 457 visa needed private medical being taken out. What's the reason?

DanSolihull

I'm currently trying to sort out medical insurance for the exact same reason. I questioned it as I had read being from the UK you get reciprocal care, the answer I got back was that insurance is still required for your journey from the Uk - Australia and the initial period that you're in Australia before you apply and get the medicare.

Out of interest who did you take your cover out with and how much was it? This is the only thing I'm waiting on and I don't know whether travellers insurance for a 6 month period suffices the requirements of a 457 visa, any help would be appreciated.

Dorothy

Because your reciprocal Medicare is for urgent/emergency care only. Routine things are not covered and that's where your private comes into play.

markbhx

Wow how do you know their location from the OP? Apart from the lack of correct grammar!

goldchoccycoin

Perhaps where the OP states that 'I am not eligible for Government medical care'...?