Medicare
Oct 26th 2010, 7:31 am
#16
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Medicare
I'm not sure if the discussion is only talking about reciprocal medical cover... but if so I thought that reciprocal cover was not full medicare? It only "officially" covers a condition where it "requires treatment before you return home". Irish citizens have even more limited access.
Of course some doctors who don't know the rules, or are kind, may provide the service anyway.
Of course some doctors who don't know the rules, or are kind, may provide the service anyway.
Oct 26th 2010, 8:58 am
#17
Officially Bewildered
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Blue Mountains, NSW
Posts: 5,523
Re: Medicare
I'm not sure if the discussion is only talking about reciprocal medical cover... but if so I thought that reciprocal cover was not full medicare? It only "officially" covers a condition where it "requires treatment before you return home". Irish citizens have even more limited access.
Of course some doctors who don't know the rules, or are kind, may provide the service anyway.
Of course some doctors who don't know the rules, or are kind, may provide the service anyway.
Access to cover
Reciprocal health care agreements cover treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any ill-health or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.
Reciprocal health care agreements cover treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any ill-health or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.
Your entitlements
As a resident of one of these countries you are entitled to the following for any ill-health or injury requiring treatment while in Australia:
free treatment as a public in-patient or outpatient in a public hospital
subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Medicare benefits for out-of-hospital medical treatment provided by doctors through private surgeries and community health centres.
As a resident of one of these countries you are entitled to the following for any ill-health or injury requiring treatment while in Australia:
free treatment as a public in-patient or outpatient in a public hospital
subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Medicare benefits for out-of-hospital medical treatment provided by doctors through private surgeries and community health centres.
Medical services not covered by Medicare
Medicare will not cover:
medicines not subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
dental work and allied health services
treatment arranged before your visit to Australia
accommodation and medical treatment in a private hospital
accommodation and medical treatment as a private patient in a public hospital.
Medicare will not cover:
medicines not subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
dental work and allied health services
treatment arranged before your visit to Australia
accommodation and medical treatment in a private hospital
accommodation and medical treatment as a private patient in a public hospital.
Oct 26th 2010, 10:35 am
#18
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: cairns,australia
Posts: 176
Re: Medicare
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.
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.
i cleaned my purse out the other day and through out all my cards and crap i thought i wouldn't need in Oz oh hum guess what was in that lot 
yep my nhs medical card
Oct 26th 2010, 10:55 am
#19
Feeble Minded
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Cairns, QLD
Posts: 1,612
Re: Medicare
You aren't applying for reciprocal health cover, you are applying for full medicare cover as the spouse of an australian citizen having applied for permanent residency. All you need to take in with you is the completed form, proof of address and your passport and evidence of your temp spouse visa.
Oct 26th 2010, 12:13 pm
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Medicare
Hi Dreamy,
Yeah that was the site I was quoting from. Not sure if you were just adding to what I said or thinking I misinterpreted it but the bits in bold below are the quotes I think limit the cover:
Reciprocal health care agreements cover treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any ill-health or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.
Obviously this only concerns those who are just on reciprocal cover and not those who can access full medicare like the OP can according to others.
