Kirsten and Geoff Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 hi everyone...Just doing some homeowrk regarding medical aids.. within australia.. we will be coming in Jan to Perth on a 457 visa but we are still applying for our permanent res visas aswell ,which will only be due later in the year.Please could you assist as how med aids work within Oz.. like going to the Doc, geting meds.. etc.. Thanks for all your help.Kirsten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nilo Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 Hi guysWe had a CO on arival with our 457 so got Medicare. (Swerver said that one had to have one and not only have applied for PR, I trust his word as he does his research thoroughly)So if you arive before you have a CO for your PR you will have to have a full medical. There are medical aid companies that will cover Temp. Residents, I Googled it and contacted a few. You get your basic Hospital type plans and the more comprehensive the more expensive.If you have Medicare that pays for GP visits, x-rays, blood tests and hospital visits. Medicine is for your own pocket, unless you have a top up medical that cover this.Medicine in Aus is rather conservative. You even have to have a script to get Bactroban ointment, which I find a bit silly but thats the way they do it here and that is all good.Hope that answers some of your questions.Nilo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 To add to Nilo's replyMedicare does not always pay for your GP visits, as it depends on what the GP charges. If they charge more than the prescribed amount allocated by the Government, then you will have to pay the difference between the GP's charge and the Government's prescribed amount.Example, let us say the GP charges $45 and the prescribed amount is $35.... you would have to pay the $10 difference.It is easy to pay though, some GP's you have to pay in full and claim your refund back from Medicare....easy....you just walk into a Medicare office, give them the account with receipt of payment, as well as your Medicare card and they will give you your money back....in cash!If the GP does the submission to Medicare, then you pay only the difference immediately....Medicare will then send the cheque for the GP's payment to you...all you have to do is send it on to the GP. Crazy, I know, they may just as well send it to the GP.The same procedure counts for specialists as well. Most blood tests are covered, but some x-rays also fall under the same Medicare rule.This is all moot though, because if you are not eligible for Medicare, then you will have to check out the private health funds.There has been some discussion on this forum about it, I suggest you do a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASydneysider Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Most blood tests are covered, but some x-rays also fall under the same Medicare rule. I did not know until recently, that sometimes blood tests can cost you an absolute fortune!I have to have regular blood tests every 3 months. Medicare only allows a doctor (not the patient), a certain number of blood tests per year and if the doctor requests more than that number of blood tests for his patients, the patients have to pay for all the blood tests themselves.I know this all sounds rediculous as a person thinks Medicare should be for the patient, but in this case, it has to do with the doctor. It seems like Medicare allows a doctor to request blood tests for only a certain number of times and if he requests it more times, he gets penalised.SAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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