How does the Health Care Work in Aus

[chris]

I am an Aus who has been stuck in the UK for 20 years... i need as much information about Perth because i want to come home....

Is there only private health care in Perth or is there something similar to the NHS ......?

How does it work :lol:

[BullcreekBob]

G'day

I think googling Medicare would be a good start, or try www.health.gov.au

Cheers
Bob from Bull Creek

[tisme]

There is a public health system to which you will be entitled to use, called Medicare. Medicare payments are taken out of your pay as a levy, I think it is 1.5%. If you earn over $50,000 as s single or $100,000 per year as a couple you will have to pay an additional Medicare levy OR take out private health insurance and this will expempt you from the extra levy, but you will still have to pay the 1.5% basic medicare levy. (It's a rip off). Like Bob said above, have a look at the Medicare website for additional info.

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Chris

It is worth Googling the Pharmacuetical Benefits Scheme as well. The cost of getting prescriptions filled in Oz might give you a shock.

The GPs in Oz get paid a set amount by the Govt for each consultation. Some of them "bulk bill." That is, they bill the Govt but not the patient. With others, you have to pay the GP the full amount of the GP's fees, and then you can reclaim the set amount from the Govt youself. If the GP has charged you more than the set amount, you have to pay the difference yourself unless you have private health insurance and the policy permits you to claim the difference from the insurers.

Cheers

Gill

[tisme]

No private health insurance pays the shortfall between what the doctor charges and the government pays the doctor (called the scheduled fee). Unless the services you obtained by a doctor was as an inpatient in a hospital. There is going to be changes made to claiming the schedule fee from Medicare. It will all be able to be delt with in the Doctors Surgery sometime in the future.

[phil]

Have a look at the medicare site, specifically the new migrants bit http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/index.jsp
I haven't worked it all out yet. Seems overly complex to me :D

[jesseisaac]

Basically health care improvements are totally depends upon the countries health development facts so we can measure that how much of development are being placed in the health care reforms, but in Australia I think health care are highly developed although I haven't experience.

[Beth101]

In our experience so far, the service received from the Australian healthcare system has been far superior to the NHS. We have experienced friendly doctors who take their time and don't make you feel rushed, short waiting times for referrals (ours was apologetic as we had to wait 2 months to be seen), and clean modern hospitals. True you are paying towards the service - medicare only covers a percentage, and the private health cover has limits too, however you do get better treatment.

P.S sorry to any of the hard-working NHS staff who may be reading this post, please don't take it personally :smile: