chiefster1976

Hi..
I have been asked to get a private health cover as a rquirement for the 457 company sponsored visa. but i have looked on the immi web site and all i can find is that the DIAC recommends private health cover but not a requirement for the visa..

Do i have to get seperate health insurance as part of the visa conditions or will a basic medicare card suffice??

moneypenny20

Medicare isn't private health cover. Under a 457 you're not entitled to various medical 'things'. If one of the requirements is to have private cover then you have to get private cover. Do a search on here to find the various different companies. I've got in the back of my brain in a very dusty dark section a memory that there is one provider that is suggested for 457 holders but I can't for the life of my remember who it is. Sorry

Wendy

It's an obligation of the employer to:

pay all medical or hospital expenses for an employee (and accompanying family member/s) for treatment in a public hospital (other than expenses that are met by health insurance or reciprocal health care arrangements)
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skill...s-employer.htm

I think that means they must make sure you have adequate health insurance or they are liable for any costs.

Gems

If you are from a country eg the UK that has agreement with Australia.
The medicare card for 457 covers the same things a Permanent visa does.
Well thats what we have found, in WA they treat it exactly the same.

You can get by without private insurance. However you will ambulance cover which is about $70 per year for a family. Dental also may be worth getting as dentists are expensive here.

Ive used the medicare agreement card a lot, without any problems. Existing conditions wouldnt have been covered with private cover, hence just using medicare.

Some employers will pay for private cover for you, however ours does not. I know several people on a 457 who just get by with medicare. Also others go private if they can afford the cover.

Gems

Wendy

Gems, how did your company get past the obligations criteria of the visa? May be helpful to others if you know

Gems

Employer just advise you to get it but never mentioned it again.
However half the 457 employees do not bother getting it.
Immigration have never asked or check when you do the visa or once here. We have been here about year and half and I know another family who have been here 2 years and did not have private cover.

Gems

asher

In NSW you need private health cover if only for ambulance call out.
Medicare reciprocal agreement covers you for emergencies only. You can get a GP who bulk bills but sadly these are not usually as good as the ones you have to pay for.
If Private cover is specified in your contract you would be wise to get some even if it's just very very basic cover.

medibank do cover specifically for 457 holders but they aren't cheap and have a qualifying period.

Gems

Ps, think employers just say's employee will have cover. However nobody actually checks/enforces that you do actually get it.

Gems

SD_MOA

Hello All,
The company hasn't gotten out of it's Health obligations. If the visa holder was to run up a health bill and didn't pay it the employer would ultimately be responsible.

By not ensuring that the visa holder has private health cover the employer is leaving itself open to any subsequent health costs incurred by the visa holder and his/her dependants.

Gems

Sorry this is not true.

Ive used it for the following and apart from the A&E none of them were emergency:

A&E, Gp visits, Hospital check ups local, hospital check ups in the city,
Overnight sleep study, operation (that was not urgent), rare tests etc.
blood tests.
All cost free, and hospitals told me that they treat the agreement card the same.

There is a lot of rubbish about the medicare agreement. But I know others who use it for lots of things.

Yes, agree as I already said get Ambulance cover is a must.

Gems

viviennef

Some companies insist you get private health cover to cover themselves. We were trying to bring someone over and we made it a condition so that we would not be liable if they hurt themselves then skipped off home.

I have private health cover and I love it - must be the only person in the planet but I get my premium back easily and am more than grateful that I had it for 12 months before my family circumstances changed. If you can afford it I woudl get it.

Vivienne

moneypenny20

You shouldn't need to get private cover for Ambulance cover. Just get Ambulance cover if you don't want to pay out for anything else. Obviously doesn't count in QLD.

Rosscarbery

Check your contract carefully. Some employers do insist on your having private health insurance, ultimately it's to cover themselves as they are liable for any health costs under the 457 scheme. Some employers insist on it, others don't. You might be able to negotiate them paying for it as part of your package. We have found that there are far fewer "peripherals" offered here as part of an employment package so don't assume that because you got perks in the UK you will get them here. Don't ask don't get

jayr

People need to understand that "emergency" means much more than if you have been run over or your spleen has burst.

Consider "emergency" to be pretty much everything that "elective" isn't.

That is, Medicare will typically cover you for costs that are medically necessary (such as visitng your GP - aside formt he gap payment). If you choose (elective) to have something done that isn't medically necessary then you will pay in full.

This isn't meant ot be exhaustively correct but people need to udnerstand that "emergency" has a fairly broad definition.