Does anyone know anything abt Medicare? After just been in Aus for the last month we had to take our daughter to the doctors 3 times at $60 a time and that didnt include the $30 dollars for a proscription

Does anyone know how the medicare system works

Do you have a Medicare card? If so, you show it at the doctor's office. If the doctor bulk bills, then you don't pay anything. That means that the doctor charges at the Medicare rates. If the doctor doesn't then you pay what they call the gap which is the difference between what the doctor charges and Medicare pays.
For prescriptions, ask your doctor to prescribe something that is on the benefits list. It will not be free, but much less expensive than if not listed. For instance, my son is on a medication that is $97 per month, but it's not listed. A similar medication (but unfortunate for us he's allergic to) costs $40 per month because it's listed.

Just go into any medicare centre, they are usually in shopping centres. Take your passport with you and as long as you are on a permanent visa, they will give you a medicare care for your family. You then show this card each time you go to a doctor and you will get about 3/4 of the money that you pay, back, either by cheque or they pay it straight into your bank account. Alternatively, you can go to a bulk billing doctor and show your medicare card and then you don`t pay, you just have to pay for the prescription.

Hope this helps.

Tracey x

Thanks for the information, its so confusing esp when our daughters as they are only 21months get free medical care here!

whats the weather like on the Gold Coast today? Were thinking of moving to the Gold coast maybe coomera, do you know it?

Would love to move to Sydney although i think it will be too expensive to live there.

Don't know the weather, but it's now autumn so things are starting to cool down a bit.
As for the medical question, you will also need to take out private health cover once you get here. Everyone over the age of 30 is required to have it. There are lots of threads in the lifestyle section on Medicare and Private health cover, so go there and have a look at them.

Thats not true. Many people dont actually have access to a private medical insurance and some choose not to.

Yes, no one is required to have private medical insurance as a permanent resident (the rules are different if you're on a 457 temp visa for example).

If you earn over $50k as a single person, or have a family income over $100k, you are liable to a surcharge on top of the Medicare levy of 1% of your income. This surcharge is waived if you take out private medical insurance.

If you don't take out private medical insurance once you're over the age of 30, but then decide a few years later that you do want it, you will pay an extra premium for every year over the age of 30 that you didn't have the insurance.

If you are aged over 30 and plan to take out private healthcare, make sure you get it within one year of validating your visa / becoming residents / when you become entitled to full medicare benefits if you're applying for PR while in the country on a temp visa. The insurance company will waive the extra premium. Sign up after you've been here a year, and you'll pay the premium for every year you are over 30.

If you pay a gap, as we did on our one trip to the doctors, do you claim some of that back. It's all so difficult to get your head round IMO

Lou
xx

No, usually the gap is your expense. Occasionally some private health funds will cover some or all of the gap (depending on your policy) but this is unusual in my experience.
You're right - it can be quite a minefield - esp after the NHS in the UK where people are used to getting free medical care.

Madhu

No, I guess you don't have to have it, but you are taxed a percentage of your wage if you don't and you're over 30. At least that's what I understand.

Hi Dorothy, I think you've got a couple of issues confused.
As someone has already said, there are 2 separate issues:

1. In Australia, every PR must pay the medicare levy which is 1.5% of their taxable income.
In addition, if you earn over $50,000 as a single person or $100,000 as a couple you are also required to pay the medicare surcharge levy of 1% of taxable income unless you have private hospital health insurance for every family member. This is irrespective of age - it makes no difference whether you're under or over 30. So some people choose to take out private health insurance to avoid this extra medicare surcharge levy.
Many people choose not to. Private health insurance is certainly not compulsory.

2. The second issue is about lifetime health cover and loading for taking our private health insurance after age 30.
for details including upcoming changes look here:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wc...phi-fact27.htm

Hope that clarifies it for you.

Madhu