pink13

Hi Guys and Gals,

My OH seems to think that we are not eligible for Medicare on our TV for the first year!!! is he right and if he is what did others do? do i get private medical insurance? how do i know which are good bad or ugly?

Any advice would be good

Bermudashorts

You are not eligible to enrol for full medicare at all on a TV never mind for the first year. You are entitled to reciprocal cover though, see link below.


http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/...isitors/uk.jsp

ABCDiamond

Medicare on a TV ? Don't TV repair shops do a better job....

OK...

Dorothy

On a temp visa you only get reciprocal Medicare which is for urgent/emergency care. Anything elective will not be covered. You will need to enrol in private medical insurance. It's a bugger to think that you're not going to get sick and find that you have a major medical problem Medicare won't cover.

Sherlock Holmes

No...but some TV repair shops might do a better job on medical stuff.

Wol

Australian Unity seemed pretty good to us: we were applying for a TV and insured with them as part of the requirements: when we changed halfway through to a PV application they refunded the premium less a small amount for expenses.

SillyOldBag

Actually on a temp spouse visa you are entitled to full medicare benefits. Just take in evidence of the visa to the medicare offices and they will grant you a temporary card, I just received my 2nd temporary card last week. If at medicare office they say you aren't entitled then ask them to double check as you definitely 100% are entitled, I had to dispute it with them and they double checked and confirmed I was correct - go me!

Gems

I was on a temp visa (457) for 2years. We got everything free on the reciprocal card.
Kids had operations, A&E, consultant appointments all free.

The hospital in my rural town and in Perth city told me they treat it the same as the Aussie version (this was doctors and the accounts dept)
I used it more than most due to kids medical conditions and it was no different to the one I now have on PR.

Gems

Pollyana

Seconded. You are definitely eligible, its just because its an unusuaql visa type it catches Medicare napping! Just keep insisting you are eligible and if necessary speak to a supervisor.

pink13

Hi Gems and Pollyana,
thanks for that was beginning to worry that it was going to cost an arm and a let to protect my sons as he is into extreme skating
I am lucky don't do Drs or hospitals to often so medicare should be fine and have been advised by a friends to pay for extra's that will apparently cover Dentists, physio etc if needed.

did try to be clever and quote both of you in one answer but couldn't work out how to do it

JAJ

Anyone on a temporary visa with work rights gets full Medicare IF that person has applied for a permanent visa (except parent visas).

Temporary spouse visa holders have already applied for the permanent visa ...

You should investigate whether this starts the 12 month clock for you to take out Lifetime Health Cover health insurance without paying an age loading.

Wol

I was on some sort of temporary visa in the early nineties, and had a Medicare card and number.

Things may well have changed since then: certainly when we emigrated in 2004 the Medicare number and card were no longer recognised and we had to apply again.

MrJenkins

I am in Sydney on a 457 visa and need to register for Medicare. Is this a visit to a Medicare office in the local area or can it be done online?
Thanks

Dreamy

You need to attend in person - from what I can remember you can download the application form from the medicare site though.

Be prepared - we had to show 'proof that we were eligible for the reciprocal cover' - at the office we attended, a UK passport wasn't sufficient evidence, but I had our NHS health cards and they were fine.

MrJenkins

Thanks. NHS health cards? never had one and now that im in Aus I probably wont be able to get one