wvink

Hi, hopefully i am not in violation of being on this forum as a Dutchman , but on Dutch forums they specifically recommended this forum for my questions. I really hope you could help us out!

My wife is currently 3 months pregnant. She will be 6 months pregnant when we'll enter Australia on a 457 (long stay business visa) in November. My future employer said that i am not entitled to Medicare and I should arrange private health care myself.

1) when i am not entitled to participate in Medicare via my work, does this mean that there is no (other) way for me to get entitlement on public care?
2) I couldn't find any private health insurance companies that don't have a 12month waiting period for pregnancy benefits. Are there any out there?
3) If not, could I arrange a separate insurance with any insurance company?

In worst case situation I have to pay for all costs related to birth myself. This is of course impossible especialy when there would be serious complications with the birth. In that case the last thing you want to think about is costs!

Thanks a lot. Any advice is very welcome!

mvt550

I believe residents from the Netherlands can take part in the reciprocal healthcare agreement with Medicare Australia.
This means that you would be eligible only for "immediately necessary care"
Check out the following factsheet

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/...alta-italy.pdf

As you will see the definition is any ill health or inury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.

Pregnancy is a grey area - only some routine antenatal care would be considered immediately necessary medical care. Much of it would not be considered medically necessary.
You should consider carefully if it is worth your while to come to Australia on a temp visa before the birth of your child.

One issue is that most doctors are not aware of the actual rules so most people end up getting ALL of their antenatal care free of charge but this is not what the RHCA was designed for and if you have a doctor who knows the rules then you will find you will not be able to access ALL care free....

pompeyblonde

2) I couldn't find any private health insurance companies that don't have a 12month waiting period for pregnancy benefits. Are there any out there?

I don't think so, Im with Police health which is one of the best and they have the 12 month wait as well.


however, I have known people who have given birth here with just the reciprocal agreement, no problems, Good luck!

Gems

If you can get the medicare agreement card. They will cover pregnancy, several ladies on here have had a baby on a 457 using the medicare agreement card. They didnt pay for hospital care in state hospital.

You may have to pay for ultrasound, but this is small amount anyway. Think you can claim some of this back at the medicare office.

I have the medicare agreement card, and have been told by GPs and a city hospital and two rural hospitals they treat it the same as OZ medicare card.

Check to see if you are eligable for this medicare card if yes,you should be ok.
However it will be all state hospital/care.

You are unlikely to find any private insurance provider that will cover pregnancy without a 12month wait.

Gems

stevemich

We had a child here whilst on a 457 and the Reciprocal agreement covered almost 100% of the costs.

It is also worth noting that on a 457 your employer is responsible for all costs associated with your healthcare whilst in Australia. They can absolve themselves of this via your contract with them, so double check the wording.

good luck

ABCDiamond

The Australian Government has signed Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with the governments of the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Malta and Italy which entitles you to limited subsidised health services for medically necessary treatment while visiting Australia.

Maternity Services for Short Stay Visitor (ie: under 9 months)
Routine antenatal care is covered
Confinements are not covered unless
Emergencies or complications arise (eg: premature births)
Special cases (eg: where a patient’s visit to Australia is primarily for her, or her partner’s work, and the patient has no choice other than to have the baby in Australia)


Maternity Services for Long Stay Visitor (ie: over 9 months)
Confinements and antenatal care are covered, including routine ultrasound Tests such as chromosome sampling where medically indicated (eg: where the mother is in an at risk age group or there is a family history of deformities)

ABCDiamond

A further note, many Australians, even WITH private cover, choose to go public for giving birth. The service is apparently better.

ABCDiamond

“Immediately necessary care” is more than just emergency treatment and may include:

• Routine primary care
• Subsequent investigation (eg: referrals to pathology, diagnostic or specialist services)
• Pre-existing conditions (any necessary monitoring or treatment)
• Psychiatric care where medically necessary (eg: to stabilize the patient’s condition to enable the journey home)

The longer a visitor stays in Australia, the greater the range of services that are likely to be immediately necessary and that should be made available (ie: they will be treated more like Australian residents). Where there is doubt over individual services, patients should seek a note from the doctor indicating the medical necessity for the proposed service. Where required individual cases should be judged on merit.

All the above taken from Policy Directive Reciprocal Health Care Agreements Document Number PD2005_398 NSW Government: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policie...PD2005_398.pdf

wvink

thanks a lot for detailed information! I will look into it and contact the NSW department of health asap.

I really apprectaite your quick replies. great forum!

slippery30

another alternate could be to apply for a PR. Full medicare rights are granted from the time of PR application not at the time of PR grant.

That could be viable option if ur planning to live in aus long term

copa

my partner had a child in Oz .... it didn't cost a cent because of UK reciprocal health care arrangement ... assistance through pregnancy and through the birth was considered very medically necessary. Where in the world is a medical attention not considered necessary for apsects of the pregnancy/birth?

Perhaps the person who started the thread should make contact with medicare ph 132011 or [email protected]

DadAgain

errr - Netherlands? a world leader ( in western world) in midwife driven birthing and non-medicalised handling of pregnancy. Home births highest in the OECD and the lowest cesarian section rate in the western world... (Also on this side of the fence NZ and UK I believe)

Unfortunately Australia is heading more down the American path of increased medicalisation, more obstetrician based treatment of pregnancy, greater intervention, higher cesarean rate and ultimately fewer positive experiences and more undesirable outcomes.

As a result as ABCDiamond pointed out many educated Australians are chosing to ignore their 'doctor driven' private healthcare options and make use of the more midwife driven public health service. The OP will probably want to check what reciprical healthcare arrangements are available for dutch 457 visa holders - but may well be perfectly happy using Australias public system as its much closer to the the dutch system than private care would be.

copa

Only selfish nutters would have a child at home by choice when much safer options are available.

My child may have died if we had a home birth .... thank god we were near all the specialists and relevant equipment.

The child wants to survive the birth more than it wants to come out in a loungeroom/bedroom.

DadAgain

Stats dont back up this popular misconception I'm afraid. There are stacks of studies (that my wife made me read when she was studying midwifery) done from various places around the world that show homebirth, (when supported as part of a managed program with hospital transfers available *if* necessary and with a qualified midwife present) means a more relaxed mother, a greater chance of natural borth with less interfention ergo less chance of complications and more positive outcomes.

Of course nobody is advocating 'going it alone' and opting out of a framework of care and nobody is suggesting that there arent cases whereby homebirth is not necessarily a good idea (where hospital transfer is likely) - but for most healthy normal pregnancies theres nothign wrong with homebirth.

Its a terrible shame that Australia pretty much outlaws the idea. (Midwifes almost unable to be registered if they do homebirth, NO funding support for patients chosing homebirth and non-co-operative health system in the event of transfers)

Heres a study: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj;330/7505/1416


...and another: http://www.homebirth.org.nz/articles...irthsafety.pdf

copa

Ours was a healthy normal pregnancy when the bub started to come .. all signs were for a healthy birth. ... and then it went very wrong. Glad we were at the hospital.

A selfless mum should think of her bub .. and be comforted by the fact they are in a hospital and surrounded by experts and equipment that can be utilised in a flash.

I'm not supporting the sterile atmosphere in some hospitals and think much could be done to make birthing suites more comfortable etc ..

But being near the equipment and specialists should be the priority. That is what made my partner and I far more comfortable with regards to our 2nd and 3rd child... it was far more relaxing once we got to the hospital as we knew homebirth etc is too much of a risk.

If the baby could talk .. s/he choose the option that'd save his/her life. You'd have to be mad to choose to have a baby at home .. a long drive from the hospital or ambulance..