Private Health Insurance

 

Visitors are not required to buy private health insurance in order to travel to Australia  but they are advised to do so because  they will not benefit from any agreement or health system while in Australia, except for a few countries in which Portugal is not included, which have health agreements with Australia. To see which countries, visit the Medicare  website.

 

Other cases such as students and even temporary residents are required, during the application process, to obtain private health insurance. To determine if you need to get private health insurance you should see your visa requirements and visa conditions and also check the Medicare website, because in some cases you might automatically fit in the necessary requirements to benefit from the Australian public health system (Medicare).

 

Most private health insurance plans should cover all or at least part of the cost of treatment in private and public hospitals in Australia and may include some services that Medicare does not cover, such as dental care, eye care and ambulance transport in some states and territories.

 

Costs and coverage types vary greatly according to the insurance agency used, so before you purchase compare the services provided and carefully read the insurance contract.

 

There are several agencies providing health insurance for students and workers. Some of the best known are: Australian Health Management, BUPA Australia, Medibank Private, NIB and Worldcare.

 

 

Private insurance is almost an obligatory choice for Australian taxpayers who earn higher incomes, notably higher than the amount stipulated for free or low cost access to the public system. People earning more than AU$ 88,000 (2013-2014 fiscal year) are subject to the Medicare surcharge. 

 

This surcharge is paid by people who earn above a certain level of income but do not have private health insurance coverage. The maximum income levels for the fiscal year 2013-14 were A$ 88,000 per year for singles and A $176,000 per year for couples or families. These amounts are adjusted annually for average wages. For more information about private health insurance in Australia click here.

 

 

The Overseas Student Heath Cover (OSHC) is the private health insurance mandatory for obtaining a student visa. The OHSC will help you pay for any medical or hospital expenses incurred during your stay in Australia, obtain reimbursement for drugs and benefit from ambulance transport in the event of an emergency.

 

However OSHC does not cover dental care, eye care or physiotherapy if you want those services to be covered you must purchase an additional private health insurance.  

 

 www.privatehealth.gov.au 

 www.iselect.com.au 

 

It is usually up to the educational institution in which you enrol to organise it and many have agreements in place with specific OSHC providers. Contact your School /University to ensure that they will provide you with an OHSC and find out who is the insurance company and the type of health insurance being offered. Make sure the insurance covers not only medical expenses but also hospital ones. If you do not want to use the insurer provided by your educational institution, you can opt to arrange your own private health insurance.

 

For more information visit the websites of the main insurance companies. Some of the best known are: Australian Health Management, BUPA Australia, Medibank Private, NIB and Worldcare. For more information about OSHC for your visa, visit visa DIAC regarding student visas.

 

Whenever you need a doctor you should first seek a general practitioner (GP). GPs treat any medical condition that is not life-threatening. This includes viruses, colds and flu, infections and all situations of day-to-day life that cause you to feel sick. The GPs may order blood tests and urine tests, injections, perform minor interventions, such as removing spots and warts. They may also perform gynaecological exams. If they find it necessary GPs will refer you to a specialist, providing you with a letter of reference that must take with you when seen by a specialist.

 

In most cases you pay immediately for the medical care provided and will later receive a refund of a portion of the cost from your private health insurance. The cost of a 20 minutes consultation is around AU$50 -AU$100. Most GPs charge "bulk billing", so you are only required to pay the difference between the service value and the amount reimbursed by your insurer or by Medicare. 

 

 

If you are taking medication and need to bring them to Australia, you should bring the prescriptions accompanied by a letter from your doctor. If you need to buy more drugs while in Australia, bring a translation of your prescription so you can show it to your doctor or pharmacist. For more information on what medications you are allowed to bring visit the Therapeutic Goods Administration website www.tga.gov.au . Many medicines such as antibiotics are available only upon presenting a prescription.

 

The cost of drugs will depend on the substances contained, but can choose to buy a generic. The active ingredients in both products are the same, the only difference is the packaging and price of the product. If you have any questions about medicines, ask your pharmacist or contact the Medicines Line on 1300 888 763.

 

All states and territories have telephone services that provide guidance 24 hours, seven days a week on health issues and can direct you to local health services if needed.

You should try to contact your family doctor or GP, but if he or she is not available, the services listed below have qualified nurses who can provide professional guidance in the event of an emergency and tell you what to do.

 

 

Emergency treatment is available 24 hours a day in the 'Emergency Room' of public hospitals. If you need emergency medical care call 000. The phone will be directed to a hospital or depending on the circumstances an ambulance will be triggered. Check if your private insurance covers ambulance transport because Medicare does not cover ambulance costs.

 

When you go to the hospital, remember to take any medicines you are taking and also your Medicare card and or private health insurance card. If the situation is not an emergency, you should seek medical attention from your family doctor.

 

In an emergency, dial 000 for:

 

Calling 000 is free. Be prepared to give your name, location, phone number and the type of service you need. If you do not speak English, just say "Police", "Ambulance" or "Fire Brigade" - and then say what is your language and you will be transferred to an interpreter who will help you talk to the police, ambulance or fire, do not hang up.

 

If you are using a landline to contact emergency service bear in mind that they might be able to locate you by computer so stay on the phone. You can find information about Triple Zero Service (Three Zeros) at www.triplezero.gov.au 

 

In an emergency dial 000 and ask for "Police". Non-urgent cases, dial 13 1444 or the number of your local police station. 

 

If you need an ambulance, dial 000 and ask for an "Ambulance". Ambulances provide emergency transport to hospital and immediate medical attention. Remember not to turn off the phone and if you do not speak English - say what language you speak so you get an interpreter. You may have to pay to use an ambulance depending on where you live, the distance of the journey by ambulance, the nature of your illness. Medicare does not cover the costs of using ambulances.

 

In an emergency, dial 000 and ask for the "Fire Brigade". In non-urgent cases, you can use the telephone number listed under "Fire Brigade (Fire)" in the White Pages of the telephone book White Pages. The services are provided free by firefighters across Australia. Refer to the information below to learn about fire safety measures in your state or territory.

 

In the case of natural disasters, such as forest fires, floods and cyclones, the coordination of emergency services is administered by the authorities of the states and territories. The assistance of professional fire services, police and rescue services can be given by volunteers, such as State and Territory Emergency Services (SES) (Emergency Services State and Territory) and rural fire services.