I'm looking to get some advice regarding private healthcare. We are due to be in Australia from October onwards on a temporary business visa (class 457) and I am unclear as to where I stand with the provision of private healthcare. I appreciate that some healthcare providers might not be willing to offer healthcare to people who are temporary resident, and that some may charge different rates, but what I'd like to clarify is if, as far as the benefits on a healthcare policy are concerned, will we be treated any differently? For example, will there be different waiting periods or will some benefits not be covered because we will only be temporary residents in Australia?

Does anyone know? Does anyone have any experience of being temporary resident and having any problems with private healthcare?

Thanks, Al

While we were temporary residents we didnt bother wih private health care as it is very expensive for temporary residents. As UK citizens you are entitled to reciprocal health care cover which means that you will be eligible for essential treatment at a GP or in a public hospital. At the end of the day I assume that you are not coming to Oz to spend time in hospital, so any such visits would be as a result of getting genuinely sick or having an accident - all of which will be covered by the reciprocal cover.

Of course if you have private medical insurance in the UK and that is a standard of living that you wish to maintain then go ahead and get it here too.

The issue of the Medcare Levy Surcharge comes into play too. However if you are earning less than $100k as a single or $150k as a couple (combined income) then you won't pay any additional tax by not having private insurance.

Thanks for your reply Colin. I've seen quite a few of your comments on this forum with good advice/information, it is very much appreciated by everyone I'm sure.

Unfortunately I have to get private healthcare as it is stipulated in my employment contract. I do have private healthcare here but have never had to use it, although I would definitely want the cover for ambulances,and the services for dental and eye treatment private healthcare in Australia gives.

My main concern is that some of the waiting periods might be extended for temporary residents who have just arrived. For example pregnancy related treatment. If my wife was to get pregnant just after we arrived what sort of treatment could she expect to receive from Medicare if the private healthcare waiting period meant she could not receive treatment privately.

Employers have to tell you to get private medical insurance as they are obliged to provide for your medical care. However I think many emplyers would take the attitude that as long as they have instructed you to get insurance then their responsibilities have ended and if you so chose to not get insurance then that is your decison and absolves them of their responsibilites - my sponsor told me to get insurance but never forced it on me or made sure that I had got it !

As for waiting times for care you would have to read the fine print of the various policies that are available to you. As you will have to get a policy that is for people in your position then I would think that it would be made clear as to what turnaround time you would expect to receive.

I know that for pregnancy there is usually a 12 month waiting time but a lot of companies are waiving these in order to get more people to sign up especially as the government have increased the Medicare Levy Surcharge threshold.

If you had the Reciprocal Medicare cover (which you should get anyway) then pregnancy would not cost you a cent - we had our first child here while we were on a 457 visa and we had great treatment in a public hospital. My wife even ended up in a private room on her own - all for free ! I think though you have to be have been in Oz for a period of time before getting pregnant for this to apply, and definitley not pregnant when you arrive !

As for Ambulance cover, we have required the services of an ambulance twice since we have been here and not been charged on either occasion ! Personally I would rather pay the charge when it happens than pay years and years of premiums for something that might never happen.

To get the cover you want will cost around $400 a month or $4500 per annum, or $18,000 for the 4 years you are here - and it still doesn't cover everything - there will stil be gap fees to pay to hospitals and GP's and specialists. A friend of ours recently had a major operation in a lovely private hospital with a great view from her room - but they still had a couple of thousand dollars of out of pocket expenses that wasn't covered by their health insurance.

Ok - I will get off my soap box now ! I hope that I have given you some things to think about !