Hi there,

We have recently moved to Brisbane (Myself, wife and daughter). We've got our Medicare cards for the family.
I tried registering, like you would register in the UK at a local Medical Centre and had a surprise. The women at the reception said I could only register when I come in, mean when I'm ill.
Cost for a short consilation is $64 and for a long $110. You get $34 back from Medicare, but you have to go to the medicare shop to claim it back, no one does it for you.

This wasn't the main concern. The main issue is, if you don't have a regular family doctor who your family is registered to, who reminds you of such very important things like Smear Tests for cervical cancer?
Usually when you register the practice will have you medical history of your family.
My wife is Asmatic as well, and she had regular reminder check ups in the uk, who does this in Australia?
Also what about the immunisation program? You would normally be notified from a GP in the UK if our daughter was coming up for another jab.

What is the system here for these three important things? If medicare is so good.

- Immunisation Program
- Smear Tests for women
- Annual Asmatic test

This also leads on to registering with a dentist as well.

Also Medical centres in Brisbane don't feel like doctors surgeries, just usually like shops which anyone could set up. I don't mind paying for treatment etc, but I think its a bit backward as well to have a cash till in a doctors surgery and your expected to had over your $$. I'd much prefer if it is just taken out of my salary.

Regards,


Alistair.

No-one reminds you, aa a general rule. You are not obliged to see the same doctor each time, or even go to the same practice. No-one keeps your notes centrally,as in the UK, either.
I've had to get an asthma inhaler since I moved here - I just walked into a pharmacy and asked for it, $10 later there it was. No asthma test, no checks at all - its a family trait, which is why I recognise what it is, but I was so surprised I could get one over the counter.

So there is no immunisation program? No smear testing? what a load of shit

Ok I've found something, but its still not clear.

http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/in...ontent/parents

Yes there is an immunization register:
https://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au...ir/index.shtml
Once you've been to a doctor and it's been updated you can go online and print out a copy any time you like.

As for papsmear the same thing goes as well. I'm not sure if it's nationwide though or state by state:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/sc...ntent/register
The first time you have a papsmear done they should ask you if you would like to be notified the next time you should have one.

Oh and you can set up your bank details with Medicare so if your doctors office is set up they can get it from Medicare directly. You'd have to check with each office though.

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/.../easyclaim.jsp

We've got both of those.

"Cost for a short consilation is $64 and for a long $110"

That sounds expensive. I pay $45 for a consultation and I get $34 back from medicare through the post.

We're also registered with our docs and dentist. Maybe you misunderstood what they were saying. However at that price you might want to shop around.

Hi,

Yer, but can you register with a doctor without having to go for an appointment i.e theres nothing wrong with you.

There are moves to 'centralise' notes but at the moment I think it's a joke. What's really funny is that if you get a mental health treatment or hospitalisation order then you only need cross the state border and it's all bets are off

Seriously though- I think a family GP is really important (not that we seem to ever need one- visited GP once in NZ) and I wodner about child protection issues in a system without.

Yes there is !

And if you use one doctor on a regular basis they will send out reminders.

I get postal reminders for my annual skin check, my wife gets them for her smear check, our dentist always sends out reminders and rings us the day before.

We haven't had to think about immunisations, as we just sign the forms that get sent to us, and our daughter comes home from school, like yesterday, and says we all had jabs today, and gave me the receipt for the chickenpox one that she had.
The council arrange it, and do them at the schools.

With babies, the government keep the records, and you can even check online which ones you have had, and which ones are due via medicare.
I would assume that they still contact you with reminders aswell.

Maybe not. I did look into changing surgeries once and they said I would have to go for one appointment to discuss history.

I've lived with bigger jokes

I pay nothing for mine, and get nothing back .... (Mine bulk bills)

There is a sign at the desk saying that Non Medicare card holders pay $50 for a consultation.

When my normal Doctor is closed, I just go to one of the other local 24 hour practices, like when I broke my finger during the holidays.

My having that ability, the really great thing is that we can almost always see a doctor the same day if needed, and normally within an hour or two.

If it is that important, register with just one local doctor, and do NOT go to any other one.

That way you will only have one doctor, and that doctor will have your only records.

I always see my main doctor for my regular things, but have the ability to see any other doctor for things like broken bones etc.

It is not compulsory to see more than one doctor....

Mine bulk bills for repeat visits, so I don't pay that often.

I get a much better GP service here than I used to so I'm happy paying a small amount now and again.