Australia Health Care System

Australian Reciprocal Health Care Agreement

Countries:

• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• Republic of Ireland
• Sweden
• The Netherlands
• Finland
• Norway
• Malta
• Italy

While staying in Australia, visitors from the above countries are entitled to immediate necessary health care. While most of these countries are covered for the duration of their stay in Australia, those visitors from Italy and Malta are limited to 6 months cover from the date they arrive in the country. The Reciprocal Health Care Agreements covers for any treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any illness or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.

Medical treatments included:

• Free medically necessary treatment as a public patient in a public hospital. Simply show your passport or reciprocal health care card to staff when you arrive at the hospital.
• Medicine available under the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme. This is at the same cost as payable by Australian residents.
• Outpatients’ treatment provided by doctors in private clinics. Residents of Republic of Ireland and New Zealand are not eligible.
• Medical treatments excluded:
• Treatments considered not immediately necessary
• Amounts billed at doctors and hospitals in excess of the Medicare Scheduled Fee.
• Dental work, chiropractic work and allied health services
• Medical treatment and accommodation in a private hospital
• Medical treatment and accommodation as a private patient in a public hospital.
• Any treatment arranged before your visit to Australia

For visitors from Republic of Ireland and New Zealand requiring medical treatment, services are available at public hospitals and pharmacies by showing your passport. However, you are not eligible to enroll in Medicare. Visitors from the other listed countries above are eligible to enroll in Medicare and may receive a Visitor Medicare Card.

How you will be billed:

You will be asked to show your Visitor Medicare card and sign a completed Medicare bulk bill form after seeing the doctor. You will not be charged and will not need to make any sort of claim. Please note that not all Australian doctors in private practice bulk bill. However, for doctors who do not bulk bill, you will be required to pay the amount at the time of consultation or lodge the unpaid bill with Medicare.

To pay the full bill on the spot you can:

Claim back your benefit in person at a Medicare office Send a completed Medicare claim form, the original doctor’s bill and your receipt for the full amount of the bill to Medicare (GPO Box 9822 in your capital city). Medicare will post a cheque to your last registered address made payable to you to cover Medicare’s portion of the bill Have your claim processed electronically from your doctor’s practice and have your benefit paid directly into your bank or credit union account by electronic funds transfer, where available.

To lodge your unpaid bill you need to:

Take the unpaid bill together with a completed claim form to a Medicare office, or send it to Medicare by mail to the address shown below. Medicare will send a cheque to your address made payable to the doctor. You will be required to take the cheque to your doctor and pay the difference between the Medicare benefit and the total fee charged by the doctor.

For further information on Medicare Australia, log onto www.medicareaustralia.gov.au.