In an emergency, and if you can't get to a Doctor, then go to the local
Hospitals Accident & Emergency department.
The 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:
www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/..../uk.jsp and a PDF document detailing the
Exact law on this is
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/PD/2005/pdf/PD2005_398.pdf
This quotes the following regarding Maternity
Services:
- Maternity Services for Short Stay Visitor (ie: under 9 months)
Routine antenatal care is covered
Confinements are not covered unless
Emergencies or complications arise (eg: premature births)
Special cases (eg: where a patient�s visit to Australia is primarily for her, or
her partner�s work, and the patient has no choice other than to have the baby in
Australia)
- Maternity Services for Long Stay Visitor (ie: over 9 months)
Confinements and antenatal care are covered, including routine ultrasound
Tests such as chromosome sampling where medically indicated (eg: where the
mother is in an at risk age group or there is a family history of deformities)
Private Medical Insurance does not generally cover standard Doctors fees, as
they are mainly covered by
Medicare. It does however cover part of the
costs of Specialists, who's fees can be well over $100 per consultation, as well
as Hospital Cover etc.
New migrants receive a grace period to
purchase hospital insurance without incurring a Lifetime Health cover
loading, "A loading of 2 per cent on top of a member's premium will
apply for each year a member's lifetime health cover age is above 30 when they
first take out hospital cover."
Migrants who become eligible for Medicare on or
after 23 April 2004 do not pay a Lifetime Health Cover loading if they purchase
hospital cover by the later of:
- the 1 July following their 31st birthday, or
- the first anniversary of the date they became eligible for Medicare.
If you were born on or before 1 July 1934, you
are not affected by Lifetime Health Cover. This means that you can purchase
hospital insurance at any time and you will always pay the base rate premium.
Example:
Monique migrates to Australia and becomes
eligible for Medicare on 1 March 2005. She first purchases hospital insurance on
15 June 2006, when she is aged 35. Monique will pay a loading, because she did
not purchase hospital cover before 1 March 2006, which is the first anniversary
of the day she became eligible for Medicare. Monique's loading will be
calculated according to her Lifetime Health Cover age.
Loading Examples based on age when taking out the policy:
Age 32 = 2% loading (approx)
Age 35 = 10% loading (approx)
Age 40 = 20% loading (approx)
Age 55 = 50% loading (approx)
http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/information/surcharges/lifetime.htm
Tax
Offset for medical expenses over a specified limit
There 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
2004-2005 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.
LINKS
Government Health Departments
Private Health Organisations
Online Medication Links (to
get ideas of prescription costs etc)
