About
Australia

Medicare

In 1984, the Medicare was introduced to Australians and quickly became the widely used due to its high-quality, accessibility and affordable prices.

Migrants who reside in Australia are eligible if they:

• hold Australian citizenship
• have been issued with a permanent visa
• hold New Zealand citizenship
• have applied for a permanent visa (excludes an application for a parent visa)

As a public (Medicare) patient, you are entitled to free treatment in public hospitals, and free treatment by medical practitioners including general practitioners, specialists, participating optometrists or dentists (for specified services only). To enroll in Medicare, you should go into a Medicare office soon after you arrive in Australia and bring your passport or travel documents. As Medicare does not provide for all services, you may also wish to consider Private Health Care.

Private Health Care

Many people choose to pay for private health insurance, but before that it is important to compare the different funds. Private health insurance funds may cover your treatment as a private patient in private or public hospitals, and can include some services that Medicare does not cover, such as dental and optical care, and ambulance transport.

For more information on the health insurance policies, visit http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/ .