smurtaza

Hi,

Sorry to ask a silly question but is medicare in Australia same like NHS in UK?NHS covers all medicines,all treatments even organ transplants,dialysis,MRI,ultrasound,heart surgery etc. (all free of cost).

In Australia families are emphasized to take up private health covers but in UK nobody like to take up private health cover because its simply not required (a luxury).Medicare seems a complete joke as even with health care card there are no free medicines provided i.e. PBS/prescription medicines are concessioned a little bit but still they are too expensive after GST.

I am still unable to understand medicare, does medicare offer similar or any better services/benefits than NHS?

Thanks,

Tellyaddict

Can I also add to this thread and ask if children receive free health care?

smurtaza

Medicare with health care card is a complete joke in comparison with NHS and its generous benefits like medicines,Lab,ultrasound,prescriptions,MRI,organ transplant,heart surgeries etc.

You definitely need to buy private cover with long waiting periods for actual benefits in Australia.

Pollyana

I can't really see why you are concerned with either health care in Australia or the NHS as you are off to the USA.

Pollyana

You might find this thread helpful
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=513531
there are also some links in it to Medicare.

Tellyaddict

I have read the link to previous medicare post. Does anyone know if the reciprical health cover with Medicare would cover the cost of my son's physio. He is 5 years old and has to attend physio once a month and see a specialist and have an x-ray every 6 months. His condition should rectify itself within the next 18 months.

smurtaza

Many Australians migrate to USA/UK because of poor benefits and less oppurtunities in Australia its normal.

Vash the Stampede

Not true.

The comment about "poor benefits" is particularly ridiculous, since the US does not have a public health service, while Australia does. So in fact, the benefits are far greater in Australia.

"Bye guys, I'm off to the USA, where there's no public health service and people are regularly bankrupted by medical bills! That sure sounds like a place with more benefits and better opportunities than Australia!"

Yeah, right.

smurtaza

In US mostly the employer gives medical insurance for family whereas in Australia not many employers' gives private health cover.Therefore in Australia you have to take up the private health cover for family yourself or only depend upon medicare (any pay for medicines).

Wol

And every time you change employers the insurance changes and takes the opportunity to exclude anything pre-existing. So as time goes on you end up basically uninsured

Siren & Brian

You pay for it one way or another. Nothing is free. I would prefer to pay for pills etc along with PBS from the govt than receive them free because people would take more than they needed and my taxes would rise dramatically.

Im quite happy with how things are done here and the balance of user pay.

ossigeno

Watch Michael Moore's Sicko about American private health cover' before you go.

MartinLuther

For most people medicines are not free on the NHS.

Have you ever lived in the UK?

smurtaza

Doesn't tax have a standard fixed rate?I mean everybody pay around 30%-35%.

Siren & Brian

Not that im aware of.