How does Medicare work
 

:confused: Hi,

How does Medicare work. We are going over on a Business visa, so won't be setting up private health care through an employer.
Does it work like the system over here, where you see a G.P first and then get referred for blood tests etc. Or what ever you may need?

Re: How does Medicare work
 

Hi

Here is what i know about medicare, sorry not that much.

You need to register first with them, which takes about 30 mins, you will be given a temp medicare card and they will send a plastic card to you through the post.

If you then need to go see a doctor (make sure they state its bulk billing which means medicare???), you show your medicare card to them, you will then have to pay the doctor his money, go back to medicare with your receipt and they will give you 85% back, but only of what the government recommend that your treatment was worth. So for instance if the doctor charge you 100 bucks for a prescription, the government states it should cost 50 bucks, you will only get 85% of 50 bucks.

Hope this is some help.

Re: How does Medicare work
 

No. Bulk billing means that you don't get charged anything by the doctor - you just sign the form at the end of the consultation and you pay nothing out of your own pocket. The doctor then claims your fee direct from Medicare.

When a doctor doesn't bulk-bill you have to pay him/her and then claim it back from Medicare yourself. All GPs are part of the Medicare system.

Re: How does Medicare work
 

Cheers Nicky

Makes more sense now, luckily i have not had to go to the doctors yet.

Cheers,

Chris

Re: How does Medicare work
 

We have used it a couple of times now and it is pretty simple. You go to a GP, they charge you ($58 in my case for a basic appointment) and then you claim back from medicare (there are several places where they have offices you can go to) and they give you $31 cash - so you are still out of pocket.

Private only really helps with hospital admittance - not consulations and scans etc (that process is similar to the GP's where you claim back a %), or with physio, dental etc (the extra stuff) and again they only contribute towards it. basically everytime you do anything it will cost you.

Re: How does Medicare work
 

Im sorry, more questions if anyone can help.

Do you have to register with your local G.P like you do over here and then just use that Doctor?


Is there private health care too, like Bupa in the U.K, Where I would see a doctor and then could be referred to have any treatment I needed at a private hospital?


I have a under active thyroid and have to take 200mcg of Levothyroxine every day, so need to be able to get my prescriptions. Also I have to have regular blood test to check everything is ok.

So I need to have all this sorted for when I arrive.

Many thanks for your help so far :thumbup:

Re: How does Medicare work
 

You don't need to register with just one doctor, you can visit any you want.

When I first got here, I went to my local GP and told him I needed Thyroxine tablets, he asked me what dosage I currently took so I showed him my tablets and told him. He wrote me out a prescription and told me to make an appointment with the nurse (at his practise) for some blood tests.

I went for the blood tests and made another appointment to see him for three days later. When I went back in he reviewed my dosage and also put me on some other tablets as just the thyroxine ones I was on weren't working properly. I also got told I had severe anaemia so got put on iron tablets.

I got a repeat prescription for the normal thyroxine tablets, and took it to the pharmacy. I got 6 bottles of tablets, each containing 40 tablets and have to take two per day. They cost me $27 per prescription and I've only one paid $15 for the doctor appointments even though I have been twice and also hed blood tests.

The other pills, I get one bottle per script and they cost me $32 and there is 100 tablets in the bottle. I have to go back for blood tests about every 9 months, or if I feel 'not right' (you'll probably know what I mean by that)

Re: How does Medicare work
 

If you are on a (temporary) business visa you won't be entitled to Medicare initially, other than maybe limited reciprocal cover.

Your visa conditions may insist that you have private health cover.

Re: How does Medicare work
 

Basic principle here is don't get sick unless you can afford to......:(

Re: How does Medicare work
 

Does that mean that prescription charges vary depending on which medication you have? :confused:

Re: How does Medicare work
 

What happens when claiming money back from medicare, do you just go to the office with the reciepts??

also do you have to claim back within a certain time??

kezx

Re: How does Medicare work
 

Hi,

I do know what you mean by feeling not quite right :unsure:
Iv just managed to get myself feeling normal. Its taken two years and blood tests every three months.
Iv just found through Google a "Specialist thyroid clinic" on the sunshine coast. I might check them out.
Im not sure what cover if any I will have to begin with on a 165 Visa. After going through three years of hell, before I finally got treated. I would pay any amount of money. Sounds dramatic I know but true!

Re: How does Medicare work
 

I've been here for 3 yrs now and I still do not understand the logic (if any) behind medicare....can anyone explain !

As far as I can tell, this is what happens:

1) you get sick, go to the doctor, he prescribes some medicine.
2) you go to his receptionist and pay the bill (e.g. $50).
3) you go to medicare next day, line up with dozens of other people, hand over your receipt, then get back a portion (e.g. $20).


What I'm still trying to understand is this - why don't you just pay the doctor $30? Then the doctor can, once per month/quarter, claim the balance from the government ?

Why force people to waste time visiting medicare? Why waste taxpayers money administrating all the medicare centres and employing the countless medicare staff ? Surely this could all be done centrally, per state ?!! Or am I missing something ?!!!!

Mark

Re: How does Medicare work
 

At the end of 2007, this will occur. You will go to the doctors office and pay $50 to the doctor. They will then swipe your Medicare card and EFTPOS card on the EFTPOS machine and you will immediately get your money. No need to go to medicare. Save the govt thousands of dollars in processing costs!

http://www.medicare.gov.au/yourhealt...onsumers.shtml

Re: How does Medicare work
 

We are on temporary business visa and although they state you are not entitled to Medicare we registered at Medicare office and seem to be entitled same as everybody else.