Medical costs AUSTRALIA

fanta2009

I have been in oz since March on a working holiday visa but in June i hurt my back. After going to the doctor a couple of times and then A&E twice where i got an xrays free of charge thanks to irish agreement, they told me it was a bulging disc pinching my sciatic nerve, very painful!

Went and got a MRI and cortisone injection and about 10 physio sessions which cost about $2500 overall but nothing helped so i need surgery.
My doctor has referred me to a consultant but i needed to go to another part of the country that week for work. So i am just wondering if anyone has had to get surgery while over here from Ireland and if anyone knows what kind of costs? my docs hadnt a clue just keeps telling me i dont have medicare, only insurance i have is one of those backpacker ones which may cover some of my bills but prob not planned surgery. So if anyone has experience with this any help or advice would be grateful!

Vorsprung

You'll need to talk to whoever is planning on doing the surgery. Different hospitals will have different costs, as will different surgeons.

Jeebus H Christ

My understanding of it is that you would be entitled to free treatment in a public hospital only, and if it is for an injury/illness sustained whilst in Australia. Going by what you said this should be good news for you.

Anyway, I'd advise emailing medicare for detailed advice. Have a look here too for more info regarding cover for Irish citizens in Oz.

The Sweeper

Nope, you have public cover for emergency and necessary procedures - the operation on the disc in your back is arguably elective surgery and you'll be liable for the entire cost, less whatever your travel insurance will pay for.

Vorsprung

The Sweeper wrote: »

Nope, you have public cover for emergency and necessary procedures - the operation on the disc in your back is arguably elective surgery and you'll be liable for the entire cost, less whatever your travel insurance will pay for.

Unfortunately this kind of surgery is absolutely elective so Medicare won't cover it.

You're not from the North by any chance? If you have an NHS card you can get a full Medicare card which would make things cheaper (but not necessarily faster as you'd be on the waiting list for ages).

jank

Best speak to your travel insurance provider if you even have one.

Mellor

Jeebus H Christ wrote: »

My understanding of it is that you would be entitled to free treatment in a public hospital only, and if it is for an injury/illness sustained whilst in Australia. Going by what you said this should be good news for you.

Your understanding is wrong I'm afraid.
The agreement is nothing to do with private ot public hospitals. It's emergency/necessary vrs elective treatment. The OP's case is elective.

Vorsprung wrote: »

You're not from the North by any chance? If you have an NHS card you can get a full Medicare card which would make things cheaper (but not necessarily faster as you'd be on the waiting list for ages).

You don't even need a NHS card for medicare if you are from the north.

The UK has a different recipricol agreement.
UK passport = Entiteld to Medicare
ROI Passport = Entitled to emergency treatment, but not medicare (the difference is things like GP visits)

Vorsprung

Mellor wrote: »

Your understanding is wrong I'm afraid.
The agreement is nothing to do with private ot public hospitals. It's emergency/necessary vrs elective treatment. The OP's case is elective.

No. Medicare in all its forms only covers public hospitals, see here:

Your entitlements
Ireland’s health scheme provides benefits for hospital treatment during your stay, but not for private medical services or prescription medicines. Public hospital care is available for a small fee for the first 10 days of your stay in any year. It is free thereafter. A fee is charged for attendance at outpatient or accident and emergency departments if you are not referred by a doctor.

What is not covered
you will have to pay the full cost of visits to private doctors.
a fee is charged for prescription medicines. After a certain amount has been spent during each month the Health Board refunds additional charges under the Drugs Payments Scheme.

This is the case for the locals too - if you break your leg and bring yourself to a private hospital, they'll give you some free painkillers and quickly suggest you go to the nearest public hospital. I work in an Emergency Dept and I see a few insurance-free people every month who have been sent over from the local private hospital.

Mellor wrote: »

You don't even need a NHS card for medicare if you are from the north.

The UK has a different recipricol agreement.
UK passport = Entiteld to Medicare
ROI Passport = Entitled to emergency treatment, but not medicare (the difference is things like GP visits)

Almost. If you're from the North and on an Irish passport, you can still get the reciprocal Medicare card that entitles you to full care (as those on a UK passport would receive) - they kick up a lot of stink about it until you point out that the county under the "Place of Birth" bit is technically in the UK. This is why I suggest that you bring in your NHS card if this applies to you - it's a lot less hassle.

Mellor

Vorsprung wrote: »

No. Medicare in all its forms only covers public hospitals, see here:

That should be rather obvious, its the state provided medical service, so therefor public. I never said any different.

The original post suggest that elective surgery was covered in a public hospital. It isn't.
I was pointing out that public/private is nothing to with it. It's elective vrs emergency.

Private hospitals aren't covered as they, by definition, deal with elective treatment.

Almost. If you're from the North and on an Irish passport, you can still get the reciprocal Medicare card that entitles you to full care (as those on a UK passport would receive) - they kick up a lot of stink about it until you point out that the county under the "Place of Birth" bit is technically in the UK. This is why I suggest that you bring in your NHS card if this applies to you - it's a lot less hassle.

You said IF he has an NHS card he can get medicare. I was just pointing out that an NHS card isn't needed. If you have one, yeah sure why not use it.

I wasn't saying you have to be on a visa a UK passport currently. I meant entitled to one. I prob should have said citizen.




Semi-related question. What are the implications of medicare and defacto visa. Say one person is entitled and the other isn't. Does the defacto grant any entitlements regarding say GP visits, or medicare safety net. What about Medicare levy come tax return time

fanta2009

Thanks for all the comments, defiantly a help. Since my last post surprisingly my insurance cheque came and covered my MRI and injection, also had a GP visit and he did say i should get this surgery asap and the disc could permanently damage my nerve and also the pain killers im being prescribed do nothing so my GP realises im in a lot of pain and cant do much else to help with it.

fanta2009

and no im not from the north.

fanta2009

ok made and few phone calls and that agreement will not cover me so after i see a specialist il need to call my travel insurance and check to see if its covered, by the looks of it as long as my doc says the surgery is medically necessary then it should be covered, just hope it doesn't matter that im dealing with a private hospital, can only imagine the fees, even in a public hospital.