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Health Care in New Zealand/Australia

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  • 12-08-2008 12:39am
    #1
    apoch632
    Registered Users Posts: 357 ✭✭


    Need a bit of advice. A mate has emailed me. He hurt his back. Pretty low on cash as well.

    Is there anything public healthcare (say like the NHS in the UK) in New Zealand or Australia. Or is all medical care private. He is in NZ at the moment and will be moving onto Australia in about two weeks


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    #2
    hussey
    Registered Users Posts: 6,240 ✭✭✭hussey


    http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/ireland-nz.jsp
    The Australian Government has signed Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with the governments of the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand which entitles you to limited subsidised health services for medically necessary treatment while visiting Australia.
    As a resident of the Republic of Ireland or New Zealand you are entitled to free treatment as a public in-patient or outpatient at a public hospital and access to subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme during your visit to Australia. This covers any ill health or injury needing medical treatment while in Australia. To access these benefits you should show your passport at hospitals or pharmacies. You are not entitled to Medicare benefits for non-hospital medical care and you will not be issued with a Medicare card.


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    #3
    One Cold Hand
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,391 ✭✭✭One Cold Hand


    Yeah as Hussey has shown, there's a reciprcal program between Ireland and Australia, which entitles Irish residents to free health care. The only thing is, it has to be medically necessary. I suppose it depends on just how bad his back is. If it's only a tweak that needs a bit of physio then he probably won't get it free.

    Some clinics and hospitals are aware of the program and some aren't. So he may have to pay up front and then claim it back. Tell him to get a receipt and get the doctor to write on it that the procedure or consultation was medically necessary.

    I broke my nose about 2 months ago, and had to have an operation to make me beautiful again. I had to pay for the initial GP fee and for the X-ray (but I can claim these back), but when I went into the hospital for the op I didn't have to pay a penny. This would have been pretty expensive as I was under full anesthetic.

    The medicare people are actually really helpful. The best thing to do is probably to get him to ring them.


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