Queensland Medical

[tigs]

Hi Guys

We are currently in Quebec, Canada, and are exploring the posibility of moving on to Queensland - Gladstone maybe. Please could some one comment on the state of Queensland medical system. I believe the state medicare system is in a real shambles with very long waiting lists just for dentistry for example. As an expat living and working in Queensland, would we be on the medicare system or have to go onto private health, and is private health any better? Is the medical care problematic only in outlying areas or endemic over the whole state?

After having lived the expat lifestyle in some really 5th world African countries, it was a surprise to find out that Quebecs medical system is a real mess and I dont want that particluar surprise again .

Thanks

Tigs

[Bob]

Dave!

I don't live in Queensland, but in South Australia.

We get reports over the news that Queensland is finding it hard to recruit doctors and other medical staff for regional areas of Queensland. Recently, an Indian doctor was pursued for wrongly diagnosing many patients in a regional Queensland hospital and they died of what would have normally been simple procedures. This isn't the case in Queensland hopsitals generally, but does throw the limelight on the need of the health industry in the State's regions.

Each State in Australia runs its own health ministry, being subsidised by the Australian gov't, much like in Canada, as we based our Medicare system on the Canadian model in 1984.

The Australian ("Commonwealth") gov't did away with free public dental treatment in 1996.

I don't know if the Queensland gov't took over the public dental system abandoned by the Commonwealth gov't at the time, but in South Australia nowadays anyone needing dental treatment has to pay for it privately.

Medicare, in Australia, covers public hospital treatment and 85% rebate on consultations with a local GP or specialist. It doesn't cover surgery that YOU elect to get done . . . only on a doctor's orders . . . . so you can't go in for surgery to fix a wonky nose if the doctor doesn't deem it necessary for you to function properly, for example, free on Medicare.

Private health insurance premiums are subsidised 30% by the Australian Commonwealth gov't to keep premiums affordable. This can include "extras", oo top of private hospital insurance, the extras insurance being for dental, chiropractic, physio, optical, speech therapy, etc. etc.

I pay $108 each fortnight out of my pay for private hospital and 80% rebate on extras for my family members under 23 years of age . . . myself, wife, daughters 19 & 17.

Check out:

www.mbf.com.au

www.medibankprivate.com.au

These two health insurance providers cover Queensland and other States in Australia. There may be local health insurance providers that are just for Queensland also, so these two may or may not be the only health insurance schemes in that State. Google for others.

[tigs]

Thanks for the info Bob.

What a pity Oz had to copy Canada's health system. I believe that sometime recently Cuba's health system recieved a higher rating than Canada's. In Canada's defense though, as I understand it, as Expats or even PR's in OZ we would not be entitled to the full NHS benefits whereas in Canada even expats working on short contracts here are fully covered as long as they have been in the country for longer than 3 months.

Cheers

Dave

[Bob]

A number of countries have signed reciprocal agreements with Australia.

I'm going to the U.K. for a couple of months later in the year, and am covered there under Britain's N.H.S. service whilst there, as British tourists are covered under Australia's Medicare scheme whilst holidaying here in Australia.

New Zealand is another country I can think of, off the top of my head, that this two-way deal applies also.

I thought Canada was yet another signatory?? It has a national Medicare scheme which can deliver service. You've only got to stroll into a Medicare office in Canada to ask if they have a two-way reciprocal arrangement for cover with Australia.

[tigs]

No can do Bob,

We are not Canadian but very Proudly South African.

Tigs