Medicare Info & Pointers
March 31, 2008
The Australian Federal Government provides help with medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare. The government also subsidises the cost of most medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
An appropriate visa holder may be eligible to join Medicare and gain immediate access to health care services and programs. These include free public hospital care, help with the cost of out-of-hospital care, and subsidised medicines.
Medicare has an Information Kit which is translated into 18 different languages. It explains Medicare and other government health services and the eligibility requirements for benefits and payments. The visa holder should remember to ask for it when they visit their local Medicare office or Migrant Resource Centre.
To enrol in Medicare, a visa holder should attend a Medicare office with their passport, travel documents and permanent visa. If all registration requirements are met, the visa holder should be advised of their Medicare card number and their card should be posted to them soon after. In most cases they will pay for medical care then receive a refund for some of the payment.
Should a visa holder need to see a doctor urgently, they can register with Medicare and ask for an interim number.
A visa holder may contact Medicare by telephone on 13 20 11, in person at Medicare offices or through their website at www.medicareaustralia.gov.au
In addition to Medicare, there are also many different private health insurance funds that offer options that cover services not covered by Medicare, for example dental care, optical care and ambulance.
For more information about private health insurance, see www.health.gov.au.
