Australian Health Care System

Medicare Australia, health insurance, to-do list… what you need to know about the Australian health care system.

Medicare is Australia’s main healthcare government-funded scheme. New Zealand citizens can enrol in Medicare immediately (recommended a week after you arrive) if you can prove you’ve moved to Australia (see below).

Until you enrol with Medicare Australia, you can get healthcare under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement New Zealand has with Australia. This covers essential treatment in a public hospital, and of course, Doctors will happily still see you but it will cost more because you aren’t registered with them.

The Reciprocal Health Care Agreement between New Zealand and Australia provides temporary coverage for medically necessary care in a public hospital and access to prescription medications at a lower price. However, it is important to note that it is only designed as a temporary measure, and longer-term treatment may require returning to New Zealand.

The Australian High Commission still recommends that people take out suitable insurance coverage for the duration of their travel. Reciprocal health care agreements do not replace the need for private travel health insurance.

The Australian Government funds three major national health schemes: Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and the 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate. These are funded via taxes and the income-based Medicare Levy, which everyone pays (unless you’re a temporary resident for tax purposes).

Editors note: the Australia government are really good at putting together online informational websites and documents to help in so many aspects of live, including healthcare.

Their website Healthdirect Australia is the national virtual public health information service. They believe that all Australian’s should have access to the information and advice they need to manage their own health and well being. Check it out!

In this post, you will find helpful information on the following:

• Suggested Health Care To Do List
• Medicare Australia
• Costs of medication and operations in Australia
• Private Health Insurance
• Compare Health Insurance Policies
• Why do you need Health Insurance in Australia?
• Finding a GP in Australia.

Suggested Health Care To-Do List:

1. Before settling in Australia, obtain medical records for each member of your family (including immunisation records for the children, which schools and daycare centres often ask for). You will need to pass these on to your new GP (see below).
2. Research Private Health Insurance in Australia.
3. One week after arriving in Australia, visit your local Medicare office to enroll.
4. Once you have been issued your Medicare Card, take it with you when:
   1. you visit a doctor
   2. or hospital
   3. when you have a prescription filled
   4. make a claim at a Medicare office
5. Consider registering for the Medicare Safety Net (keep your medical receipts).
6. Let Medicare know if you change your address.
7. If you have children, visit the Australia Government Immunisation page.

Let us know in the comments section below if there is anything else you need to know. We will do some research and, if possible, add it to our online resources. 

Medicare Australia

Medicare is a publicly funded universal health care scheme in Australia. Operated by the government authority Medicare Australia, Medicare is Australia’s primary funder of health care, funding primary health care for Australian citizens and permanent residents (except for those on Norfolk Island).

Residents are entitled to subsidised treatment from medical practitioners, eligible midwives, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals who have been issued a Medicare provider number and can also obtain free treatment in public hospitals.

Find more information on Medicare Australia here.

Costs of medication and operations in Australia

Moving to Australia and want to know if your medication or recommended operation is subsidised in Australia (how much is it going to cost you).

There are many things to consider when moving to Australia, and whether you can still get the prescriptions you need is high on the list. There also might be an operation you’ve been told you might need, and you want to know if you will be covered under Medicare and how much it will cost.

The good news is that, as New Zealanders living in Australia on an SCV, we are covered under Medicare for the prescriptions and hospital care we need.

Find out exactly how much your medication and operation will cost in my costs of medication and operations in Australia post. 

Private Health Insurance

If you are making plans to move to Australia, applying for health insurance is an important part of the process. Aside from that, it’s always a good idea to prepare for the unexpected.

In Australia, the public health system Medicare covers most Australian residents’ health care. However, Medicare does not cover everything, and you can choose to take out private health insurance to give yourself a wider range of healthcare options and more comprehensive coverage.

There are two types of health insurance: hospital and general treatment (ancillary or extras). You can buy them separately, or most funds offer combined policies. Any policy you buy will have limitations on what and when you can claim.

The Private Health Insurance Rebate is a federal government subsidy for the cost of insurance, while the Lifetime Health Cover rules are designed to encourage people to purchase and stay covered in private health coverage earlier.

Most Australians with private health insurance currently receive a rebate from the Australian Government to help cover the cost of their premiums. You can find more information on my private health insurance post.

If you are in Australia on a temporary student visa or if you are applying for a visa subclass 457, it is a visa condition that you take out private health cover. If you are visiting Australia on any other visa, you should consider taking out some cover for the duration of your stay.

This is a good place to start, the Australian Government website Private Health or you can read more on my private health insurance post. 

Compare Health Insurance Policies

To allow for a simpler comparison of health insurance products, all Australian health insurers are required by law to provide details of each of their products to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman. PrivateHealth.gov.au contains details of every health insurance policy available in Australia, as well as its Private Health Information Statement.

This government website provides facts that are not biased or trying to sell you anything! It provides comprehensive, independent private health insurance information.

Start comparing policies here. 

Why do you need Health Insurance in Australia?

Private health insurance is important because Australia’s Medicare system does not cover some things. The same reasons you have health insurance in New Zealand apply to Australia.

With Health Insurance, you’ll get access to elective surgery, probably with your choice of doctor, in the comfort of a private hospital without having to wait months or even years.

The taxpayer-funded Medicare healthcare system in Australia covers many medical, hospital and pharmaceutical costs. Under this system, you can be treated as a public patient, at no charge, in a public hospital by a doctor appointed by the hospital.

However, as a public patient, you have to wait your turn, and you are at the mercy of waiting lists for doctors and procedures—the same as in New Zealand.

The benefits of private health insurance include a greater choice of doctors than you would get in the public system, access to a private hospital that might be more comfortable than the public one, and probably a shorter wait for some forms of elective (non-urgent) surgery.

In the public system, if you need elective rather than emergency surgery, you may have to wait months or even years. However, with private health insurance, you may be able to have elective surgery within weeks, possibly at a time and place convenient to you.

In addition, some forms of health care are not free in the public system. You have to pay for your regular dentist visits, for instance.

Health Insurance Benefit Checklist:

Depending on the policy you take out and within the annual maximum payouts set by the policy, private health insurance can cover costs such as:

• Hospital expenses (theatre fees or accommodation) in a private hospital
• Ambulance fees
• Chiropractic treatment
• Home Nursing
• Podiatry
• Physiotherapy, occupational, speech and eye therapy
• ‘Complementary’ therapies such as acupuncture
• Glasses and contact lenses
• Dental care
• Pharmaceutical costs

Finding a GP in Australia

A good GP can be one of the most important people in your life, particularly if you have a chronic condition or develop a serious illness. A positive ongoing relationship with your GP is priceless, so choosing the right one is important.

The best doctors do more than diagnose – they coordinate your complete healthcare, sending you the right tests and to the right specialists. They’ll help you stay healthier and limit unnecessary hospital visits.

Health Direct, an Australian Government website, has put together a helpful guide to finding the right health professional. On this page, there is a tool to help you find a health service, such as a GP (general practice), pharmacy, emergency department, or hospital, in your area. There are no review ratings on this website, so I recommend searching Google for reviews on your local practitioners, which is always enlightening.

In saying that, I find getting a referral for a new doctor/GP is always best. The good news is that Australians love to chat, so once you’ve found your new home, start asking around. I’m sure you’ll get chatting with someone in your local cafe, bar, school or supermarket and end up with a referral. Honestly, it always amazed me the chats I’d get into in the supermarket line, or anywhere for that matter, with a local Aussie.

You might be interested in…

The below posts might interest you:

• Medicare Australia
• Having a baby in Australia
• Can an NZ citizen get an Australian benefit or pension?

Still, got unanswered questions?

If you’ve read the above content and the answer to your question isn’t there, please comment below, and I’ll research the answer for you.

Can I help you find something else?

If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 30 seconds, so give it a go!