ian27

Hey guys,

I was wondering about the cost of medical fees in Australia.

a. If I register with a Medicare doctor, do I have to pay for the consultation? Or is it free like in the the UK?

b. What are the fees for a prescription prescribed by a Medicare doctor?

c. Is there a Medicare pre-paid prescription system like in the UK where you can pay a one-time fee for a 12 month period that will allow you to get as many prescriptions as you like once you obtain the pre-paid certificate?

Thank you in advance.

Ian

NIGENABBY

Hello

There are alot of answers to your questions;

A) There is not really any such thing as a "Medicare" doctor. Doctors are free to either charge you (if this is their option) and you claim back the rebate or others will simply ask you to sign a medicare form when you visit and they bill the government directly. Look for a doctors that has the sign 'bulk billing' out the front. There are less doctors who do this because the government (I believe) can take a long time to pay.

B) there is no such thing as a free script, even if you are on full government benefits you pay (approximately) $4.60 per script. General patients will pay (at most) $28.60 for all drugs covered under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. You should be covered by the PBS under the reciprocal agreements

C) I am not aware of any pre paid prescription scheme, that said there may be you can look at the medicare site for exact information;

http://www.medicare.gov.au/

That said if you are on temporary visa you are not necessarily entitled to all medical facilities offered by Medicare, however as British citizen there are very few you will miss out on due to the reciprocal nature of our health systems.

The medicare site should answer most of your questions

I hope this helps

janeyray

I use to go to a surgery that took Medicare patients. I had to pay $5 everytime I went. We eventually found a nicer place and we didnt have to pay anything.

Perscriptions depend on the medicine you are buying, I have lots of allergies and use inhalers. Most were cheap but nasel sprays for things like hayfever and Rhinitus can cost anything from $50 upwards, thats because they aren't on the PBS list.

ian27

Thank you for the quick responses. I have to take regular medication each month. Do you know where I can find the list of medicines covered by the PBS? I am a permanent resident and not a tempory resident so I will be eligible for Medicare.

joveazey

Hi,

We are in Perth and most of the Doctors near us bulk bill for children and pensioners but everyone else has to pay. It's $45 usually and you claim $32 back. Prescriptions have to be paid for, my husband has underactive thyroid and is on medication for ever and still has to pay for prescriptions.

Hope this helps

Jo

ABCDiamond

The Pharmaceutical Benefit Safety Net Scheme
http://www1.health.gov.au/pbs/contents/explain5.htm

and

The Medicare Safety Net scheme
http://www.hic.gov.au/yourhealth/our.../about_msn.htm


You can get an idea of medicine costs here: http://www.epharmacy.com.au/