Welcome to Aussie health care
Jul 17th 2003, 6:52 pm
#16
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
yeah young lad, if only
Jul 17th 2003, 7:55 pm
#17
Oz bound I hope
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Nr Nottingham
Posts: 82
Originally posted by kaleb777
It was free wasn't it? What's the problem?
It was free wasn't it? What's the problem?
I understood any break is potentially life threatening. Admittedly as a small risk. This would include risks of thrombosis, secondary bone infections etc.
The best medical treatment I EVER got was in Malaysia for an Ear infection. 40 mins door to door (hotel- Clinic -Hotel, 3 miles away) by taxi, 20 min plus consultation with a very good doctor, 4 prescription items, total cost £23 inc medicines, doctors time, and taxi with tips. I couldn't even get the prescriptions filled in the UK for that.
Ever tried getting a reasonable appointment in the UK ? It's all supposed to be same day now, - what they mean is if you can't take time off to book same day don't bother, if the books are full try again to book tomorrow for your 5 min slot, (still, keeps the waiting lists down...)
Sorry, UK health service is C**P..
Jul 17th 2003, 8:27 pm
#18
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Joined: May 2003
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 334
I agree that PB's post is actually encouraging for once. If a 3 hour wait is unusual enough to make the newspaper it's definitely not the NHS...
Sorry about the awful wait in Casualty, Heather. Made all the worse by not actually getting the right treatment (a real cast) until days later anyway. Very fortunate (and no thanks to the NHS) that it hadn't set badly in the meantime and didn't need rebreaking on the Friday.
I've had Medicare treatment in Oz before. Surgery even. Two weeks after diagnosis for something not urgent. It's been going downhill (becoming more user pays) in recent years. But the treatment I had was so much better than what I've had in the UK even a lesser service would still beat the NHS.
Not exactly the NHS's fault but:
I've posted elsewhere about having to walk to hospital on the night everyone got stuck on the M11 last year with ice. Our local council ignored the weather forecasts and didn't salt the roads. Hey - this is central London, not somewhere civilised! Even ambulances couldn't get out 'cos the hospital is on a steep hill. No cars, taxis, buses, anything moving at all.
I had a 90 minute walk there slipping on the footpaths, then formed a human chain to get down hill to the hospital without further injury (I felt like I was in some disaster movie or 3rd world country). 3 hours later (3am) I was informed there were no doctors to stitch up my bad cut as they couldn't get in either so there was not much point in waiting. I received temporary treatment from the (only) nurse and walked home again.
Hy hubbie got acid in his eye doing photography. The local hospital washed it out and bandaged it up, covering the other eye too, then called a taxi to take him to a bigger hospital for treatment. Halfway there the taxi driver says he's lost and asks hubbie the way - he has to point out that he can't actually see and has no idea where they are!
There's just such a lack of joined-up thinking in all the public services here. One of my neighbours is a senior manager in the local council. He's always going on jollies to show their solidarity with other places (Bosnia even), endless meetings and conferences. No sign of any work or progress in the regeneration projects he's in charge of. Nice to know our council tax is paying for his time. They did build a wheelchair ramp into the local library with steps in it though...
Sorry about the awful wait in Casualty, Heather. Made all the worse by not actually getting the right treatment (a real cast) until days later anyway. Very fortunate (and no thanks to the NHS) that it hadn't set badly in the meantime and didn't need rebreaking on the Friday.
I've had Medicare treatment in Oz before. Surgery even. Two weeks after diagnosis for something not urgent. It's been going downhill (becoming more user pays) in recent years. But the treatment I had was so much better than what I've had in the UK even a lesser service would still beat the NHS.
Not exactly the NHS's fault but:
I've posted elsewhere about having to walk to hospital on the night everyone got stuck on the M11 last year with ice. Our local council ignored the weather forecasts and didn't salt the roads. Hey - this is central London, not somewhere civilised! Even ambulances couldn't get out 'cos the hospital is on a steep hill. No cars, taxis, buses, anything moving at all.
I had a 90 minute walk there slipping on the footpaths, then formed a human chain to get down hill to the hospital without further injury (I felt like I was in some disaster movie or 3rd world country). 3 hours later (3am) I was informed there were no doctors to stitch up my bad cut as they couldn't get in either so there was not much point in waiting. I received temporary treatment from the (only) nurse and walked home again.
Hy hubbie got acid in his eye doing photography. The local hospital washed it out and bandaged it up, covering the other eye too, then called a taxi to take him to a bigger hospital for treatment. Halfway there the taxi driver says he's lost and asks hubbie the way - he has to point out that he can't actually see and has no idea where they are!
There's just such a lack of joined-up thinking in all the public services here. One of my neighbours is a senior manager in the local council. He's always going on jollies to show their solidarity with other places (Bosnia even), endless meetings and conferences. No sign of any work or progress in the regeneration projects he's in charge of. Nice to know our council tax is paying for his time. They did build a wheelchair ramp into the local library with steps in it though...
Jul 17th 2003, 11:06 pm
#19
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Westleigh, Sydney
Posts: 553
Lifetime Health Cover Loading
For any people over 30 planning on coming here and taking out private medical cover, there is an additional aged based levy called the Lifetime Health Cover Loading.
They load an additional 2% onto your premium for ever year over 30 that you haven’t had Hospital cover.
This is meant to persuade people to take out cover earlier on, but it also catches recent migrants. Apparently, there is legislation before parliament to remove recent migrant from this, but it hasn’t passed into law yet. No doubt there will be no refunds for those of us paying it at the moment.
http://www.nrma.com.au/pub/nrma/heal...shtml#lifetime
They load an additional 2% onto your premium for ever year over 30 that you haven’t had Hospital cover.
This is meant to persuade people to take out cover earlier on, but it also catches recent migrants. Apparently, there is legislation before parliament to remove recent migrant from this, but it hasn’t passed into law yet. No doubt there will be no refunds for those of us paying it at the moment.
http://www.nrma.com.au/pub/nrma/heal...shtml#lifetime
Jul 17th 2003, 11:57 pm
#20
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Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Re: Welcome to Aussie health care
Originally posted by h garrett
[Three hours of chaos
Thats nothing!
We arrived at our casualty department at 10.45 sunday morning. My 8 year old had a suspected broken ankle. At 2pm she had an x ray, then another one at 4.30! At 6pm the break was confirmed, but then at least she was allowed a drink and something to eat, as they just stuck a plaster of paris back slab on it (as there was no one availiable to put on a full cast). We had to go back the following friday (1st availiable appointment) to see the consultant, when she finally got her proper cast put on
Guess its just a matter of which postcode you live in as to the standards of treatment recieved
[Three hours of chaos
Thats nothing!
We arrived at our casualty department at 10.45 sunday morning. My 8 year old had a suspected broken ankle. At 2pm she had an x ray, then another one at 4.30! At 6pm the break was confirmed, but then at least she was allowed a drink and something to eat, as they just stuck a plaster of paris back slab on it (as there was no one availiable to put on a full cast). We had to go back the following friday (1st availiable appointment) to see the consultant, when she finally got her proper cast put on
Guess its just a matter of which postcode you live in as to the standards of treatment recieved
You will love it here then , try this from a local .
Last weekend I cut my thumb very deeply , so I went to my local doctor who was closed after 12 pm.
So I visited four local surgeries , despite the fact I was losing a lot of blood I was told by all four that because I was unemployed and they do not bulk bill unless I had $70 I would not be attended.
So I went off to Joondalup Hospital , they were so under staffed and swamped with patients it was absolute mayhem in the emergency department.
We were piled in corridors , plaster room , eye exam room, anywhere there was a space .
From babies to the elderly we were being looked after by all and sundry , my complaint is not about the way I was treated but the way our heath system is.
Jeriah Esiason
Scarborough
Perth
WA
Last edited by pommie bastard; Jul 18th 2003 at 4:30 am.
Jul 18th 2003, 2:22 am
#21
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Joined: May 2003
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 334
The new legislation will mean that migrants of any age have 12 months from arrival to purchase private health insurance and all get given the starting 'certified age' of 30 - ie basic rate locked in forever afterwards with no loading.
If you wait more than 12 months you will have to pay whatever loading your actual starting age means - ie starting at 40 means 20% loading indefinitely.
So it might be worth waiting a few months after arrival to check this legislation has gone thru then sign up before the 12 months is up. Sign up before then and you'll get the loading - maybe there'll be rebates when legislation comes in, maybe not...
In the meantime, hopefully the Medicare waiting lists won't be too long for anything non-urgent you need. Urgent things don't usually have waiting lists in Oz. Taking out private insurance right away won't help - usual 1 year exclusion for pre-existing conditions. If you're used to NHS waiting lists you might be pleasantly surprised anyway.
You may decide you don't need private insurance anyway. Most Australians don't have it. But it becomes practically compulsory if you're earning over $100K as a family - there's an extra Medicare levy of 1% then if you don't have private insurance so you're paying at least $1000 towards it anyway.
Migrants get a slight benefit under the new legislation - they get premiums as if they have paid in since they were 30 even if they arrive at 45. No so the locals - they might have paid 15 years of premiums from age 30-45 without getting much back.
Many Australians are skipping locking in the basic premium and sticking with Medicare then signing up for private cover when they're nearing 60. The premiums from then on attract a max loading of (I think) 60%. But you've saved 30 years of premiums anyway to make up for that - it's called 'self insurance' in Oz - using the saving to pay for treatment you might need in the meantime.
Ambulance insurance is necessary right away though. Costs about $80pa for a family.
If you wait more than 12 months you will have to pay whatever loading your actual starting age means - ie starting at 40 means 20% loading indefinitely.
So it might be worth waiting a few months after arrival to check this legislation has gone thru then sign up before the 12 months is up. Sign up before then and you'll get the loading - maybe there'll be rebates when legislation comes in, maybe not...
In the meantime, hopefully the Medicare waiting lists won't be too long for anything non-urgent you need. Urgent things don't usually have waiting lists in Oz. Taking out private insurance right away won't help - usual 1 year exclusion for pre-existing conditions. If you're used to NHS waiting lists you might be pleasantly surprised anyway.
You may decide you don't need private insurance anyway. Most Australians don't have it. But it becomes practically compulsory if you're earning over $100K as a family - there's an extra Medicare levy of 1% then if you don't have private insurance so you're paying at least $1000 towards it anyway.
Migrants get a slight benefit under the new legislation - they get premiums as if they have paid in since they were 30 even if they arrive at 45. No so the locals - they might have paid 15 years of premiums from age 30-45 without getting much back.
Many Australians are skipping locking in the basic premium and sticking with Medicare then signing up for private cover when they're nearing 60. The premiums from then on attract a max loading of (I think) 60%. But you've saved 30 years of premiums anyway to make up for that - it's called 'self insurance' in Oz - using the saving to pay for treatment you might need in the meantime.
Ambulance insurance is necessary right away though. Costs about $80pa for a family.
Jul 18th 2003, 2:28 am
#22
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Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Originally posted by Jolyn
The new legislation will mean that migrants of any age have 12 months from arrival to purchase private health insurance and all get given the starting 'certified age' of 30 - ie basic rate locked in forever afterwards with no loading.
If you wait more than 12 months you will have to pay whatever loading your actual starting age means - ie starting at 40 means 20% loading indefinitely.
So it might be worth waiting a few months after arrival to check this legislation has gone thru then sign up before the 12 months is up. Sign up before then and you'll get the loading - maybe there'll be rebates when legislation comes in, maybe not...
In the meantime, hopefully the Medicare waiting lists won't be too long for anything non-urgent you need. Urgent things don't usually have waiting lists in Oz. Taking out private insurance right away won't help - usual 1 year exclusion for pre-existing conditions. If you're used to NHS waiting lists you might be pleasantly surprised anyway.
You may decide you don't need private insurance anyway. Most Australians don't have it. But it becomes practically compulsory if you're earning over $100K as a family - there's an extra Medicare levy of 1% then if you don't have private insurance so you're paying at least $1000 towards it anyway.
Migrants get a slight benefit under the new legislation - they get premiums as if they have paid in since they were 30 even if they arrive at 45. No so the locals - they might have paid 15 years of premiums from age 30-45 without getting much back.
Many Australians are skipping locking in the basic premium and sticking with Medicare then signing up for private cover when they're nearing 60. The premiums from then on attract a max loading of (I think) 60%. But you've saved 30 years of premiums anyway to make up for that - it's called 'self insurance' in Oz - using the saving to pay for treatment you might need in the meantime.
Ambulance insurance is necessary right away though. Costs about $80pa for a family.
The new legislation will mean that migrants of any age have 12 months from arrival to purchase private health insurance and all get given the starting 'certified age' of 30 - ie basic rate locked in forever afterwards with no loading.
If you wait more than 12 months you will have to pay whatever loading your actual starting age means - ie starting at 40 means 20% loading indefinitely.
So it might be worth waiting a few months after arrival to check this legislation has gone thru then sign up before the 12 months is up. Sign up before then and you'll get the loading - maybe there'll be rebates when legislation comes in, maybe not...
In the meantime, hopefully the Medicare waiting lists won't be too long for anything non-urgent you need. Urgent things don't usually have waiting lists in Oz. Taking out private insurance right away won't help - usual 1 year exclusion for pre-existing conditions. If you're used to NHS waiting lists you might be pleasantly surprised anyway.
You may decide you don't need private insurance anyway. Most Australians don't have it. But it becomes practically compulsory if you're earning over $100K as a family - there's an extra Medicare levy of 1% then if you don't have private insurance so you're paying at least $1000 towards it anyway.
Migrants get a slight benefit under the new legislation - they get premiums as if they have paid in since they were 30 even if they arrive at 45. No so the locals - they might have paid 15 years of premiums from age 30-45 without getting much back.
Many Australians are skipping locking in the basic premium and sticking with Medicare then signing up for private cover when they're nearing 60. The premiums from then on attract a max loading of (I think) 60%. But you've saved 30 years of premiums anyway to make up for that - it's called 'self insurance' in Oz - using the saving to pay for treatment you might need in the meantime.
Ambulance insurance is necessary right away though. Costs about $80pa for a family.
Good information I will add the most sick pay you will get is 2 weeks a year unless you get a goverment job ,so do not waste them on un-needed days off.
Last edited by pommie bastard; Jul 18th 2003 at 2:31 am.
Jul 18th 2003, 2:39 am
#23
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Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,576
Originally posted by Jolyn
Ambulance insurance is necessary right away though. Costs about $80pa for a family.
Ambulance insurance is necessary right away though. Costs about $80pa for a family.
Also if you do earn over $100,000 you can avoid paying the full insurance (could be $4K or 5K for a family) by just getting a cheapie insurance policy that gov recogizes and so dosn't charge you the extra 1%.
Jul 18th 2003, 2:46 am
#24
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Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
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Originally posted by Kiwipaul
Not anymore in Qld as so few people were paying it, the gov now add $80 (I think) to everyones electricity bill. Don't know the exact figure as not had a bill yet.
Also if you do earn over $100,000 you can avoid paying the full insurance (could be $4K or 5K for a family) by just getting a cheapie insurance policy that gov recogizes and so dosn't charge you the extra 1%.
Not anymore in Qld as so few people were paying it, the gov now add $80 (I think) to everyones electricity bill. Don't know the exact figure as not had a bill yet.
Also if you do earn over $100,000 you can avoid paying the full insurance (could be $4K or 5K for a family) by just getting a cheapie insurance policy that gov recogizes and so dosn't charge you the extra 1%.
Jul 18th 2003, 2:54 am
#25
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Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,576
Originally posted by pommie bastard
Could you explain the dreaded Gap , please Mr Paul?
Could you explain the dreaded Gap , please Mr Paul?
The gap is the difference between the gov subsidy and the ammount the doctor charges. For a reg visit to your GP the gap is about $10-15.
If you can find a doctor that bulk bills (you'll be very lucky) you don't pay anything.
The thing people forget about insurance policies is they are NOT charities they are out to make money by chargeing you more than you will cost them plus all the admin charges. I'd sooner keep my money and spend it when required rather than take out medical insurance, for something I'd rarely use.
Jul 18th 2003, 2:57 am
#26
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Originally posted by Kiwipaul
I'll humour you just this once.
The gap is the difference between the gov subsidy and the ammount the doctor charges. For a reg visit to your GP the gap is about $10-15.
If you can find a doctor that bulk bills (you'll be very lucky) you don't pay anything.
The thing people forget about insurance policies is they are NOT charities they are out to make money by chargeing you more than you will cost them plus all the admin charges. I'd sooner keep my money and spend it when required rather than take out medical insurance, for something I'd rarely use.
I'll humour you just this once.
The gap is the difference between the gov subsidy and the ammount the doctor charges. For a reg visit to your GP the gap is about $10-15.
If you can find a doctor that bulk bills (you'll be very lucky) you don't pay anything.
The thing people forget about insurance policies is they are NOT charities they are out to make money by chargeing you more than you will cost them plus all the admin charges. I'd sooner keep my money and spend it when required rather than take out medical insurance, for something I'd rarely use.
What is the max that a punter can get hit for if he has treatment under private health ? the biggest Gap payment.
Jul 18th 2003, 3:01 am
#27
Not here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,621
I'm feeling sick...everyone being civil and all...
Jul 18th 2003, 3:03 am
#28
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Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Originally posted by Florida_03
I'm feeling sick...everyone being civil and all...
I'm feeling sick...everyone being civil and all...
Jul 18th 2003, 3:03 am
#29
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Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,576
Originally posted by pommie bastard
What is the max that a punter can get hit for if he has treatment under private health ? the biggest Gap payment.
What is the max that a punter can get hit for if he has treatment under private health ? the biggest Gap payment.
What the waiting list for Hip relacements under the NHS currently.
This cost only appies to Elective problems, emergencies are covered by Medicare immediately, just like in the UK.
Jul 18th 2003, 3:09 am
#30
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Originally posted by Kiwipaul
How the hell should know but at a guess I'd say it's unlimited. but you spend your money your way I'll spend mine my way.
What the waiting list for Hip relacements under the NHS currently.
This cost only appies to Elective problems, emergencies are covered by Medicare immediately, just like in the UK.
How the hell should know but at a guess I'd say it's unlimited. but you spend your money your way I'll spend mine my way.
What the waiting list for Hip relacements under the NHS currently.
This cost only appies to Elective problems, emergencies are covered by Medicare immediately, just like in the UK.
NHS are farming out the waiting lists to Europe might have mine done in Paris.