Please read on for information regarding Eligibility and Options for having a Medicare Card whilst in Australia. Each country has their own agreement with
Australia so make sure you know what your options are. In saying that i would still recommend getting travel insurance for when you are in Australia
to cover yourself in an emergency. Hit us up on live chat or insta cheapaz.travel or facebook for any extra info.
The agreement conditions tell you:
- what medical care you can get under Medicare while you visit Australia, and
- the documents you need to show us to prove that you are eligible under the RHCA
Read the agreement conditions for the RHCA country you were living in before coming to Australia, from the list below.
We have agreements with:
- Belgium
- Finland
- Italy – you don’t need to have been living in Italy, but you must be an Italian citizen and meet the other agreement conditions
- Malta
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Ireland
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
What’s covered
The agreements cover medically necessary care. It must be:
- care for illness or injury that can’t wait till you get home
- care that Medicare covers
Who they cover
You must be meet the agreement conditions to be covered.
Who they don’t cover
You’re not covered if you’re here on a:
- 405 investor retirement visa
- 410 retirement visa that you applied for after 1 December 1998
Read about health care for 405 and 410 visa holders.
You’re not covered if you’re a student from:
- Finland
- Malta
- Norway
- the Republic of Ireland
Most people need overseas student health cover to come to Australia on a student visa.
How long your cover lasts
It starts the day you arrive in Australia.
When it ends depends on the country you’re visiting from. You can only use it while you have a valid visa.
It ends on the day your visa expires if you’re from:
- Finland
- Norway
- the Republic of Ireland
- Sweden
- the UK
It ends on the day your European Health Insurance Card expires, or the day your visa expires if earlier, if you’re from:
- Belgium
- the Netherlands
- Slovenia
If you’re from Italy or Malta, it ends:
- after 6 months
- the day your European Health Insurance Card expires, or
- the day your visa expires, if earlier
What’s covered
If you’re from New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland
It covers:
- medically necessary care as a public patient in a public hospital
- prescription medicines at a lower price – this is the general rate for drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) list
If you’re from any of the other agreement countries
It covers:
- medically necessary care out of hospital
- medically necessary care as a public patient in a public hospital
- prescription medicines at a lower price – this is the general rate for drugs in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
This is for visitors from:
- Belgium
- Finland
- Italy
- Malta
- the Netherlands
- Norway
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- the UK
What it doesn’t cover
It doesn’t cover:
- medicines that aren’t in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
- care planned before you got to Australia
- care for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
- private hospital care
- public hospital care as a private patient
- ambulance travel
- dental care unless it’s in the Chronic Disease Management scheme
- care from a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, eye therapist, chiropractor, podiatrist or psychologist unless it’s in the Chronic
Disease Management scheme - acupuncture unless it’s from a doctor
- glasses and contact lenses
- hearing aids and other devices
- prostheses
- costs someone else is responsible for – for example an insurer, employer or government agency
- care that isn’t clinically essential
- cosmetic surgery
- checks for life insurance or superannuation or to join a friendly society
- home nursing
You can get private travel health insurance to cover many of these.
Enrol in Medicare
To enrol you need to visit a service centre with a completed Medicare enrolment form and documents you need to show. For documents you need to show, refer
to information under your country. Contact us for link.
For treatment you had beforehand you can claim for an assessment of benefit after enrolling. Your benefit starts the day you arrived in Australia.
When you get care from a doctor
You can see a doctor in a private practice or a community health centre. It is up to the doctor how they charge you for the service.
They can charge you by:
- giving you a bill to pay – most doctors in private practice do this
- sending the bill straight to Medicare – we call this bulk billing (you must be enrolled in Medicare)
If the service is covered under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), you can get some of the cost back from Medicare as long as you have enrolled for
Medicare.
See if your service is on the MBS list on the Department of Health MBS Onlinewebsite.
If the doctor bills you
You can:
- pay the bill on the day you see the doctor, or
- take the unpaid bill to Medicare
It is up to the doctor if you have to pay them at the time of the service.
If you are required to pay on the day
You can:
- claim your benefit online using your Medicare online account
- ask the staff at the doctor to claim for you on the spot
- fill in a Medicare claim form and post it to us with the doctor’s bill and receipt
- claim in person at a service centre
- claim over the phone by calling the Medicare general enquiries line
We can only pay the money into an Australian bank account. You’ll need to give us your bank details.
If you aren’t required to pay on the day
You can:
- fill in a Medicare claim form and take it and the doctor’s bill to a service centre, or
- post the bill to us – we’ll send you a cheque to take to the doctor
You will also need to pay any difference owing to the doctor.
If the doctor bills Medicare – Bulk Billing
Show your reciprocal health care card and sign a Medicare form after you see the doctor. You won’t need to pay.
When you get care from a hospital
Go to a public hospital. Show your passport or reciprocal health care card to the staff. Tell them you want care as a public patient.
As a public patient in a public hospital you won’t have to pay for your stay or treatment there.
You’ll need to pay the full fees if you choose care:
- as a private patient in a public hospital
- in a private hospital
You can’t claim these fees back from Medicare.
