When Medicare coverage starts?

[Guest BenJay]

I was wondering when the Medicare actually starts to cover you after the arrival. Are you covered even if you do not have your card issued to you and your family?

Maybe I should get myself some short tourist insurance cover for 2 weeks before I get the Medicare insurance organised? What do you reckon?

Also, will it be enough if I go to Centrelink to sort out papers only by myself or I need to take the whole family with me? I hope not.

Please share your experiences.

[Guest The Dimmocks]

When we went they gave us a piece of paper with all our names on and numbers to cover for the period before cards came. They needed all our passports. Cant rememeber if we all had to be there for centre link, if you have a wife/partner they will aslo need a TFN number for centrelink so make sure you get one as this delayed ours as I didnt know I had to have one (they did pay us from when we arrived though)

[Rich & Chit]

Hi

As soon as u sort the medicare papers, you're covered. They'll give u temp card for whole fam. But we had medical ins for a short time, took it before we came here.

U only need oh if he/she 's claiming anythin fr Centrelink