PLEASE HELP - medicare question

[Guest rocker]

Hello there, sorry if I hijacked this forum but I was no able to find anything regarding my case, my wife and I should be in Adelaide by August ,we are from south america, our regional sponsored 475 visa was approved a month ago, the very same day our visa was approved I found out my wife is pregnant, my question is about medicare elegibility, all I have found is UK citizens are indeed covered by medicare but what about us???....I did confirm that no insurance company will cover her since she is already expecting the baby, any idea whether or not 475 visa holders ( non UK citizens ) are elegible to receive medicare benefits???....we might have to cancel our trip if my wife's medical expenses are not covered by medicare.....thanks in advance and my apologies again for posting this question here..

 

R.l.

[foxychick]

Not sure on all the visa types, but if the 475 entitles you to reciprical medicare - you have no worries, try a search as this question is asked fairly often in relation to pregnancy. If you are still unsure, I would drop medicare a line as they will be able to advise better.

 

congrats on the news!

 

Edit, just read your post properly - see you are from South America - do they have any agreements with Oz? If you are not covered, I would suggest also dropping an e-mail to Flinders Medical Centre (hospital) as they can also advise you of potential costs.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Hi there...what passport do you have?

Australia has agreements with various countries regarding medical benefits.

If you are not covered by medicare could you not find out how much it would cost to have a baby at a government hospital?

We have a medicare office just up the road and can enquire if you let us know your passport details?

[Guest rocker]

Thanks a lot, this is really more than I hope for, we are from Colombia, I dont think there is any agreement with Australia but I greatly appreciate if you find out otherwise, please let me know, in the meantime I will e mail that hospital foxychick mentoned.

We are trying to contact our agent to find out if it's possible to get an extension so we can travel after my wife gives birth....any ideas on this???

Thanks again

 

r.l

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Our daughter had her baby at Flinders. He was born premature and the care was brilliant. We can enquire how much a normal birth would cost you if you were not entitled to medicare. Can you find out whether your visa covers you as you register with medicare almost immediately that you get here?

There is a person on this site who can give you the best advice about procedure to follow if your wife has the baby outside Oz. That person is Rich. He has just posted a message today that his son, Ewan has been granted his visa. I think that he was in the same situation as you....baby Ewan delayed his leaving and he had to apply for a visa for him.

Hope that this info helps and you get some more good info?

Tamara