Health care

Australia's health system offers a comprehensive range of public and privately funded health services. You are encouraged to have the public Medicare and Private Health Insurance.
There is a booklet called ‘Insure? Not Sure?’ available from the Private Health Insurance Administration Council to assist you.

(To view: www.phiac.gov.au/insurenotsure/index.htm).

Medicare

Part of Australia’s national public health care system is Medicare. It provides universal access to free public hospital care. Medicare provides assistance with doctor’s and other medical professional service fees and with the costs of most prescription medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The Australian Government has a website dedicated to Medicare.

(To view: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au)

To access most of the benefits provided, you are required to have lived in Australia for a minimum of two years. Migrants and visitors from many western countries have reciprocal rights (depending on the country of origin) to the base services of Medi-Care.

Reciprocal Health Insurance for visitors to Australia
The Australian government has signed reciprocal health care agreements with the following countries: United Kingdom, New Zealand, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Malta, Italy and the Netherlands. A reciprocal agreement entitles visitors or temporary visa holders to Australia to immediate necessary medical care whilst in Australia. There are certain limitations to the agreement. (To view: Department of Health and Ageing).

The agreement provides coverage through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Immediate necessary medical care means injury or illness occurring whilst in Australia and the visitor must be treated for immediate medical reasons before returning home or becoming a permanent resident. If not in need of immediate necessary medical care you are not eligible for treatment under the agreement.

Private Health Insurance

Medicare covers many health care costs, but not all. Health care can be expensive. Private health insurance provides additional cover for services not covered by Medicare.
We recommend investigating the benefits of additional private health insurance to you and your family.

There are many private health insurance policies to choose from. These policies will cover either some or all of the cost of your hospital care, allow you to choose your own doctor or specialist and decide whether you will go to a public or a private hospital that your doctor or specialist of choice attends. In either a public or private hospital, you will be charged for the hospital accommodation and the medical and other services you receive. As a private patient treated in hospital, public or private, Medicare will refund up to 75% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee for medical services received. Private health insurance may cover any gap or difference in the balance of fees. It may further cover ancillary benefits from Dental to Optical to Chiropractor to Massage or other to certain levels and limits.