hello,

I've searched through the forum and haven't found what I was looking for - much much more besides though!

We are working our way through the 'things to do first' list for NSW before flying out to Sydney and have a question about Medicare.

We activated our PR visas in December and flew back to the UK. When we fly out in April, will we need to provide any more documentation to enroll because we haven't 'just arrived'? What are your experiences? Is our passport, visa and travel document (I assume flight ticket?) enough?

Many thanks for your responses!

You are entitled to Medicare immediately. They may (or they may not) ask for evidence you have established residence in Australia, not just visiting.

2 year rule doesn't apply to everything.

Thanks JAJ, I just edited my original post asking if I was eligible as my husband just found out that anyone with a PR visa is eligible - yey!

I have an additional question though, if you go to a bulk bill GP and they charge say $45 for treatment and medicare only allows $35, do you pay $10 at the surgery that day, or do medicare send you a bill at a later date? Is this the same for hospital treatment and the like that can stretch into thousands of dollars?

Bulk bill is where the GP only charges what medicare reimburses, so there is no charge or payment from you. The scenario you give is not bulk bill.

You have to pay the $45 (more like $65), and claim the difference. If you have setup you bank details with medicare you can make the claim at the doctors (some docs, not all) and then bank account gets credited with the claim. If not have to go in to medicare with the receipt and they give you cash.

Basically you have to pay the whole doctor's bill there and then. What you get back from medicare is determined on an individual level (ie if you are a senior, under 18, concession etc)

Hospital is a little different - depends on the doctor, treatment and hospital as to how costs are recovered. Usually they invoice you, and you take the invoice to medicare, they pay the hospital directly (they will give you the cheque if its not 100% paid) and you have to cover the difference (gap payment). If you have private health insurance, sometimes the gap is covered - depending on the hospital and doctor.

Tests and scans are the same as doctors, some are covered by medicare, some they contribute towards it. If its 100% covered they will bulk bill.

yes you will need evidence of an address (letter to that address is normally ok) as well as visa and passport.
The same is needed for driving licences (as well as your driving licence!).

My Bulk Billing doctor charges $50 to non Medicare card holders, and nothing to card holders. The $50 is payable there and then.
If you can claim anything, you claim the rebate back from Medicare yourself.

With the Non Bulk Billing Doctors, you always pay in full, then claim back the rebate from Medicare.
Some of the doctors surgery's have the facility to do the claim via their EFTPOS, there and then, and the rebate is put directly into your bank account.

Hospitals, as a Medicare patient, is normally covered by Medicare direct to the Hospital.

Thanks everyone for clearing the process up.

I guess from a UK experience, I'd be happier with a bulk bill GP where it's all taken care of for me. Is there much difference going to a more expensive GP? Are the services much better from your experience? I've never even thought about private medical insurance in the UK and I fail to see the point really. Am I being naive in the context of the Australian system where this sector is really needed?

Bulk bill GP's seem to be more prevalent in the not so rich areas.
In the richer areas, the patients seem more prepared to pay the price for their choice of Doctor.

In theory those that can demand a higher fee ($50-$60) should be better than those who are prepared to work for the basic schedule fee ($33.55), but then, some of those who do work cheaper may feel inclined to put patients first ?

There are different levels of Doctors "abilities"... but that applies in both bulk bill and non bulk billers in our experience. There is one doctor in one of our local bulk bill practices that I will only see to do a repeat prescription. The other Doctor now tends to get booked out, so appointments become difficult.

At our local surgery the same doctor will sometimes bulk bill and sometimes charge you. A lot of them will bulk bill the kids but not adults. I specifically chose one doctor because he usually bulk bills and then was charged $54 dollars.

Also, re driving licence in NSW you can ask someone who already has a NSW licence to sign a declaration that you are living at x address. We got our cousin to do that (I know you can't always have it that easy I think some people have asked landlords). Then that meant that we had our licence within 1 week of arriving providing us with a very well recognised proof of address. The printed statement from the bank wasn't enough.

If I remember rightly all we really needed at Medicare was passports and proof of address (driving licence?!).

Private medical - we still haven't, but intend to. Our Australian neighbours haven't bothered and are saving up for treatments. I want to get private sorted before we need the dentist check-ups.

Whereabouts are you heading to in Sydney?

Another common GP option is they charge you the difference between the scheduled fee and their charge (in our case $10 or free for the child). You sign a form and then a few weeks later a cheque turns up in the mail to pay the doctor the scheduled fee. You give them the cheque next time you are in the vicinity (it always goes through the patients hands to reduce fraud I think). So you just pay the $10 gap. Average, Australia wide, 80% of GP services are bulk billed.

If admitted to a public hospital there is no charge just like NHS.

I saw that at some stage and wondered about it.

It turned out to be Tuesdays were bulk billing days...

That's a point, its Tuesday tomorrow..

Pizzas are $4.95 on Tuesdays
DVD rentals are $1 weekly's on a Tuesday

It isn't called cheap Tuesday for nothing, and now with Free doctors on a Tuesday

Thanks everyone, realistically speaking I'll probably be living in a poor area so it'll be easier to go to a bulk bill GP.

Not sure where in Sydney yet Tubbs2Oz, we're going to stay at a hostel until we get jobs and know what state/city/suburb we are going to call home. It seemed a cheaper option than a short-term rental, and comes furnished and with TV and wi-fi (the MUST haves )

What's the deal with dental though?

You pay....

Some private cover will cover a lot, some will cover little. That one needs a good deal of looking into.

It apparently costs about $45,000 to do the 5 year Dental course at Uni....
I am trying to talk my daughter into it

Don't wait too long - leave it more than a year from being eligible for Medicare and you will pay an age loading, if you're aged 31 or more.

Yes that would apply, I'll be 31 soon and my husband is 5 years older - so we'll get right on it asap. Thanks for the dental info, shame, but I guess we have to pay int he uk too.