Taking Medicare of Yourself

If you’re looking to move to Australia one of the first things you’ll need to consider is how you will cover possible health costs. After all, you don’t want to be left out of pocket if you fall victim to illness, injury or a hilarious yet painful surfing accident.

An option seriously worth considering is the Australian Government’s Medicare scheme.

Am I Going to be Eligible for Medicare?

Medicare is an option available to residents of Australia who are citizens of either Australia or New Zealand, or hold a permanent visa. You might also eligible if you are a visitor or temporary resident in Australia who has come from a country which Australia has a reciprocal healthcare arrangement with. Countries that have reciprocal agreements with Australia include Great Britain, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Malta, New Zealand and Sweden. However in this case there are restrictions that apply, so make sure you do your research to find out what you are entitled to.

What Sort of Thing Does Medicare Cover?

Medicare can provide help with basic medical expenses. It will give you access to free care at public hospitals. Outside of the hospital you will be fully reimbursed for the cost of seeing General Practitioner. For many GPs it is common to bill Medicare directly, in which case you will not be charged at all. However, it’s worth noting that Medicare will only cover 85 percent of the fee for seeing a specialist. For most prescription medicines you will only have to pay part of the cost, with the rest of the cost covered through a system called the Pharmaceutical Benefits System.

Medicare will take care of a lot of the potential costs of sickness or injury in Australia, but it isn’t completely comprehensive- no insurance policy is.

Among the things Medicare won’t cover you for are things such as dental care, most eye care, or use of the ambulance services. It’s definitely worth taking on private healthcare cover on the side to cover these areas.

Should you take on extra health insurance it is vital that you read through your policy to see exactly what it does and does not cover. It’s impossible to predict what part of your cover you’re going to need (hopefully none of it!) but if something isn’t covered you don’t want to find out about it when you most need it- particularly if it’s right after a hilarious but painful surfing accident.

Okay, You’ve Talked Me into It. How Do I Get Medicare?

Firstly, you’re going to need to find out where your nearest Medicare office is. You can find this out on the Medicare website, which we’ve given you the address for below. Once you’ve found out where it is, you should head over there between seven and ten days after you enter the country. When you go should bring a passport or travel documents for each person being enrolled.

You will need to supply Medicare with your contact details, visa information, and bank details. It is possible to register your whole family on one Medicare card, or to register each family member on an individual card. If you register as a family, one person will have to be named the contact person, and it is they who will be sent general information about Medicare. Another thing to bear in mind if registering as a family is that you will also have to register for the Medicare Safety Net. This is a system put in place to help when high medical costs are inflicted, which individuals are automatically signed up for, but as a family you will need to be registered. You can find out more about this from the Medicare office and website, or by phoning them on 132 011.

When all this is complete you will get a green coloured plastic card that will give you your Medicare number, and which you can show to any doctor with a provider number.

Being registered with Medicare will give you peace of mind as you settle into your new life in Australia, enjoying all this fine country has to offer. Maybe you could even take up surfing? 

Find your nearest Medicare office here: http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/claims/offices.jsp

-Chris Farnell