Medical insurence on 457

catbear

Quick question that i can't find answer to in stickies: is private health insurence cover from ireland required for your stay on a 475 or are you required to take out a local policy. Confused about this as having private health insurence was one of the requirements for a 457 application.

hussey

catbear wrote: »

Quick question that i can't find answer to in stickies: is private health insurence cover from ireland required for your stay on a 475 or are you required to take out a local policy. Confused about this as having private health insurence was one of the requirements for a 457 application.

The Irish-Australian reciprocal agreement covers this.

Mellor

catbear wrote: »

Confused about this as having private health insurence was one of the requirements for a 457 application.

Health insurance is a requirement, not private health insurance.
THe difference is important as it means that being from Ireland. That the reciprocal agreement covers you.

If you are from the north and applying offshore. You need cover for your initial arrival, and register for medicare when you land.
If you are onshore, you have to sort medicare before it can be approved.

catbear

Mellor wrote: »

Health insurance is a requirement, not private health insurance.
THe difference is important as it means that being from Ireland. That the reciprocal agreement covers you.

I understand the OZ/Ire arrangement but I'm trying to confirm if simply registering with medicare covers your personal health care obligations for the 457 visa. I've gone through the government website thats gives a link to medical care but this question wasn't answered clearly and if anything is more confusing.
I will be taking out private health insurance but I'm concerned about complying with the 457 conditions at this present time as my months cover from my Irish health insurance has lapsed. Thanks in advance.

Hasmunch

You only need to show a copy of your irish passport when applying for a 457.

The reciprocal health care agreement is all the cover you need for this visa.

Mellor

catbear wrote: »

I understand the OZ/Ire arrangement but I'm trying to confirm if simply registering with medicare covers your personal health care obligations for the 457 visa.

We know what you were asking, we've answered it.

Mellor wrote: »

Health insurance is a requirement, not private health insurance. The reciprocal agreement covers you.

hussey wrote: »

The Irish-Australian reciprocal agreement covers this.

The reciprocal agreement covers the health insurance requirement for a 457 visa if you are from Ireland.

catbear

If I'm covered by the Oz/Ire arrangement then I don't need to register with medicare?

Hasmunch

catbear wrote: »

If I'm covered by the Oz/Ire arrangement then I don't need to register with medicare?

No.

(in fairness to you catbear the website is very misleading and can have you going around in circles)

Mellor

catbear wrote: »

If I'm covered by the Oz/Ire arrangement then I don't need to register with medicare?

Why are you worried about registering with medicare?

If you are from ireland you aren't able to register for medicare. Not entitled to it

catbear

I understand that Mellor but reading condition 8501 of the 457 visa on the immi website leads me to believe that the reciprocal arrangement while covering emergencies in public hospitals is still not enough not enough to be in compliance of the visas terms. See Attachment A on this link, http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/457-health-insurance-faq-visa-holder.htm
it talks about a basic level of cover that goes beyond what the reciprocal arrangement covers.
I queried medicare because of the ambiguity around the links provided on the immi website which thankfully Hasmunch agrees is misleading.
Attachment A as far as I can see requires taking out private health insurance to meet condition 8501.
I'm just trying to make sense of the immi website and so far there's nothing there that leads me to believe that the reciprocal arrangements, while good enough for 457 visa holders from the UK and NI, are not enough for Irish visaholders.

This medicare page:http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/ireland-nz.jsp states that Irish visitors are covered but there's not enough information there to know if it meets all the requirements as set out in Attachment A on the immi site. Both sites state things that I'm not sure match up.

Mellor

I understand that you don't want to leave anything to chance. But trust us on this one. When we say the agrement covers a 457 we aren't just speculating. We are 100% sure.

I'm on a 457, my health cover was the agreement. It wasn't even brought up during application.
My girlfriend is on a 457, her cover is the agreement. She had to register with Medicare as she is from northern Ireland,

catbear

When you say agreement, do you mean your employer is providing private health cover mellor? it's just that we had to submit copies of our Irish private health covers as part of our 457 visa.

s.c

catbear wrote: »

When you say agreement, do you mean your employer is providing private health cover mellor? it's just that we had to submit copies of our Irish private health covers as part of our 457 visa.

Did ye submit the application yourselves or through an immigration agent. If through an agent, he/she obviously doesn't know what he/she is doing as there was no need to do this. Others please correct me if I'm wrong.

catbear

No, we didn't use an agent. This was in the last five months and it was definately required.

sbabu_irl

catbear wrote: »

When you say agreement, do you mean your employer is providing private health cover mellor? it's just that we had to submit copies of our Irish private health covers as part of our 457 visa.

Agreement means - The reciprocal agreement.

karl bracken

Im not sure how to say it as its been mentioned above but you do not need anything for the medical part of the 457 once your Irish its covered fully under the reciprocal agreement.

Just write on the form under the question that you are covered by the agreement, this is what me and the GF did last year.

You are fully covered and dont need to do anything.

catbear

Thanks karl, i'll take your word for it. I wanted to be absolutly sure about this as we've already had a very frustrating experience with two other oz goverment departments who weren't communicating effectively With eachother and it wasted a lot of time for us when we couldn't afford it. i was afraid the same thing wad happening between immi and medicare. By the it was someone in immi who told us we had to go to medicare.

karl bracken

Trust me on this i understand your frustration we were the same, Oz is ran great in some ways and in the dark ages in other ways. Communication between departments is not great!
Your are fine with the reciprocal, do not worry

Mellor

catbear wrote: »

Thanks karl, i'll take your word for it. I wanted to be absolutly sure about this as we've already had a very frustrating experience with two other oz goverment departments who weren't communicating effectively With eachother and it wasted a lot of time for us when we couldn't afford it. i was afraid the same thing wad happening between immi and medicare. By the it was someone in immi who told us we had to go to medicare.

I know the feeling of visa stress. You're right to triple check.
I pointed this out already, but you might have missed it, are you from the republic or the north of Ireland? Specifically what passport are you ysing, both of you. As it affects the 457 health conditions slightly.

catbear

Both republic.

Mellor

catbear wrote: »

Both republic.

You're sorted. no need to do anything. The case officer have came accross enough people from Ireland to know that the 457 covers the requirement

catbear

Thanks Mellor. I just didn't want to go back back to IMMI incase I got another false lead.

emfitz

So I know being Irish we can't get Medicare and we're covered under reciprocal agreement..

When it comes to Doctors/physio fees etc is there anything like medicare that we can use, I'm racking up alot of bills lately. The reciprocal agreement was great as I landed in A&E not so long ago..

But everytime I go see a doc, I'm asked if I have medicare and as if not haveing it is like a sin..

I got a doc bill for $700 in Oct because i didnt have medicare, poor girl on reception felt so bad giving it to me..

My health Ins is basic but I feel like I'm wasting $170 a month on it...

kdevitt

emfitz wrote: »

So I know being Irish we can't get Medicare and we're covered under reciprocal agreement..

When it comes to Doctors/physio fees etc is there anything like medicare that we can use, I'm racking up alot of bills lately. The reciprocal agreement was great as I landed in A&E not so long ago..

Nothing I'm aware of - wish there was - my wife went with our baby for a checkup, and the doctor suggested she have some blood tests while she was there as she looked a bit tired. She (I) got hit for $1,000.

Would be good to hear that there is something in place to compensate - but I doubt it. Its one of the reasons I feel seriously shafted by the LAFHA being done away with.

s.c

emfitz wrote: »

So I know being Irish we can't get Medicare and we're covered under reciprocal agreement..

When it comes to Doctors/physio fees etc is there anything like medicare that we can use, I'm racking up alot of bills lately. The reciprocal agreement was great as I landed in A&E not so long ago..

But everytime I go see a doc, I'm asked if I have medicare and as if not haveing it is like a sin..

I got a doc bill for $700 in Oct because i didnt have medicare, poor girl on reception felt so bad giving it to me..

My health Ins is basic but I feel like I'm wasting $170 a month on it...

As far as I know since you have health insurance (Australian provider?), you should be able to claim back at least something for your doctor fees. You won't get anything for the physio fee unless you have extras cover and have selected physio as an extra.

Mellor

emfitz wrote: »

So I know being Irish we can't get Medicare and we're covered under reciprocal agreement..

When it comes to Doctors/physio fees etc is there anything like medicare that we can use, I'm racking up alot of bills lately. The reciprocal agreement was great as I landed in A&E not so long ago..

But everytime I go see a doc, I'm asked if I have medicare and as if not haveing it is like a sin..

I got a doc bill for $700 in Oct because i didnt have medicare, poor girl on reception felt so bad giving it to me..

My health Ins is basic but I feel like I'm wasting $170 a month on it...

That's exactly what your health insurance is for.

s.c wrote: »

As far as I know since you have health insurance (Australian provider?), you should be able to claim back at least something for your doctor fees. You won't get anything for the physio fee unless you have extras cover and have selected physio as an extra.

Depends with physio, if it was medical prescribed, or voluntary.
If it was recreational injury, or happened at work could be a solution via workcover.

karl bracken

Noble dentist for reduced dentist bills.

If you call about health insurance and say your not sure they will usually drop the 2 months waiting times as a sales tactic if you take it then.
Thats on most of the smaller stuff like physio not on major dental.

Depending on you morals just get it for a few months get what you need done and cancel it.

Nick Diamond

Now i know this has been asked to deeeeeeeeath, but is all this covered on the recipricol agreement?

http://www.austhealth.com/documents/Basic_Visitor_Cover_120_Plan_020212.pdf

Mellor

No. That's private health insurance.

The agreement covers emmergency treatment. ie A&E
Which is all thats required for a 457

jackbhoy

emfitz wrote: »

So I know being Irish we can't get Medicare and we're covered under reciprocal agreement..

When it comes to Doctors/physio fees etc is there anything like medicare that we can use, I'm racking up alot of bills lately. The reciprocal agreement was great as I landed in A&E not so long ago..

But everytime I go see a doc, I'm asked if I have medicare and as if not haveing it is like a sin..

I got a doc bill for $700 in Oct because i didnt have medicare, poor girl on reception felt so bad giving it to me..

My health Ins is basic but I feel like I'm wasting $170 a month on it...

Do you have Aus health insurance? If so some/all of GP costs should be covered. Gf and I had to get health cover as a condition of our visa, was pain to stump up cash at outset but so glad we did now.

I had only been to doc once in 12 years back home but since getting to Oz I have been to doc/physio c 15 times in 10 months with couple of minor injuries and minor health issue that needs regular check ups, all of this was covered and haven't had to pay a penny. I think our insurance cost c. $3500 for both of us for 4 years so if you are paying $170 p/m you should really think about changing to provider that covers GP etc..