Medical: Introduction to Medicare
An Introduction to MedicareThe Australian Public Health SystemThe Australian Government funded Medical health care system is called Medicare, and is similar in some ways, to the UK National Health system. Medicare provides access to:
Medicare will normally cover the following:
The Australian Government has agreed values for doctors payments for specified procedures and consultations, and will normally pay 100% of this figure either directly to the doctor, or to the patient. Many Doctors actually only these agreed prescribed values for consultations, and therefore the patient pays nothing, other Doctors charge higher, and then the patient has to contribute. With the doctors where you pay nothing, you often have to wait to see a doctor, as they tend to be more popular. In my experience this can be 20 minutes to 2 hours, or even the next day, however, in some areas this can be longer. The Current Doctors rates in 2009, in my area, are about $50 for a standard visit. The Medicare Rebate for a level B consulation is $33.55, meaning that your NET cost would be $16.45. Note: Some doctors charge more than $50 and some charge less. When a Doctor "Bulk Bills", it means they accept a consultation charge of $33.55 only, and they get paid direct from Medicare, so the patient has nothing to pay. Bulk Billing doctors are more common in the less affluent areas, but can be rare in the better off areas. There are "safety net thresholds" so that patients do not pay too much over the year, even if they have many visits to the Doctor. Public Hospital services are available free of charge to eligible persons who choose to be treated as public patients. Registering for MedicareAfter you have arrived in Australia the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs will notify Medicare of your visa details, normally within the first week. You can then register at a local Medicare Office. This is a quotation from the Eligibility and enrolment section of the Medicare Australia Website Who is eligible to register for Medicare in Australia ?People who reside in Australia - excluding Norfolk Island - are eligible if they:
Contact Medicare for further information. You will need to provide documents to support your residency in Australia or your severing of ties with the previous country of residence if:
In some cases both forms of documentation may be needed That section of the website also has a link to the enrolment form that you will need to complete. Migrants and TravellersWho is eligible for Medicare in Australia ?
Reciprocal Health CareThe Australian Government has signed Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with various countries INCLUDING the United Kingdom. Reciprocal Health Care agreements normally cover treatment that is medically necessary. More information can be found at: and a PDF document detailing the Exact law on this is: This quotes the following information regarding Maternity Services:
What Does Medicare Cover ?Medicare provides benefits for:
Medicare does not cover such things as:
Medicare LevyAlmost all workers pay the standard 1.5% Medicare levy towards funding the cost of the Medicare system in Australia. The only exemptions/reductions to this are for the very low paid, (2008 is about $17,309pa) and this detail can be checked at: Medical Levy Surcharge (MLS)If you are a single person, earning more than $70,000 per year, or a family earning more than $140,000 per year combined, then a correctly chosen Private Medical Insurance Policy will save you from paying the extra 1% Medical Levy Surcharge (MLS). Individuals and families on these higher incomes, who do not have private patient hospital cover (including their dependants and their spouse if they have one), may be liable to pay the extra 1% MLS for any period that they did not have this cover. The aim of the Medicare Levy Surcharge is to encourage high-income earners to take out private hospital cover and, where possible, to use the private system to reduce the demand on the public system. Pharmaceutical Benefits Safety NetThe maximum price for a standard prescription, as at 1st Jan 2008, is $31.30 for general patients. The general patient safety net threshold for 2008 is $1,141.80 Medicare Safety NetIf you need to see doctors or have tests regularly you could end up with high medical costs—the Medicare Safety Net is designed to help you when you need it most. The basic benefit is that once you reach the threshold, any further qualifying medical expenses are reduced by Medicare covering 80% of the extra payments you need to make. Medicare Safety Net Thresholds from Jan 1st 2008
Tax Offset for medical expenses over a specified limitThere is a medical expenses tax offset that may be available if you have out of pocket medical expenses over a specified limit in an income year. The 2008-2009 year threshold is $1,500, and any medical costs exceeding this can be claimed against, and a Tax Offset of 20% of the excess is claimable. This is claimed on your end of year tax return through the ATO. Ambulance CoverThe cost of getting an ambulance can be quite substantial, so it is very important to have insurance cover where required. Skin CancerDeaths from Skin Cancer
OpticalEye Examinations are available at many Opticians, and the cost of this examination is covered by Medicare for one FULL examination every two years. LINKSMedicare
Government Health Departments
Private Health Organisations
Online Medication Links (to get ideas of costs etc)
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