Medicare confussion..please help

[rodders]

Hi, Can someone please tell me, if myself and my family have a medicare card are we still required to hold medical ins. as well? Thanks

[Riponian]

I don't believe so as most stuff it's covered under medicare but I think for stuff like eyes teeth and other physio and other complimentary stuff it's worth looking at if you think you will need it i.e. pysical job or health concerns.
If you read the stuff on the Medicare website it is quite helpful and there is another place but can't find it grr
Only been her 10mth but I am sure some old timers can help or use the search facility to look through other comments about it here is just one I found

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/...re-extras.html

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

With Medicare cover...private insurance is a choice. There's quite a wait (just like the NHS) for plenty of medical tests and procedures with medicare cover.
Ambulance cover is also separate from Medicare. You can take out cover in the event that you or your family need ambulance transportation.

Tamara

[Diane]

We don't have private medical cover at all, we just have a medicare card, plus ambulance cover through the post office. If you need to see a specialist, you have the option to go on the medicare waiting list, or see the specialist privately, pay, and then claim about 80% of the cost back from medicare anyway. Also, if you don't have private cover and your doctor refers you for any procedures, ask your doctor if he can request bulk billing. I have to have a scan and an x-ray this week on a lump, and the doctor just put "please bulk bill" on the request form so I will not have to pay anything at the clinic.

HTH
Diane

[rodders]

Hi Diane, So how much extra would ambulance cover cost per month?

[cbeeb]

you do need ambulance cover less than $50 a year. but if you earn 146K or more including super contributions as a house hold(family) you will need to pay medicare levy surcharge(1% of income) if you do not have it. Get billed when fill in tax return. Check ATO website

[The Dimmocks]

SA Ambulance Service

Ambulance cover is $129 per year for a family.

[cliffy]

You can get emergency limited ambulance cover through some private health insurances. Or you can get full cover for your whole family through SA ambulance. The cost of that is around $130 a year, I believe, less for singles. Since a call out runs from about $700, it is not expensive, but essential.

[Damms]

Hi

Ambulance cover is really necessary as I fell un expectantly ill at work and they called an ambulance it cost ME $700 so we now have this !!!

Also when we became permanent we did take out medical insurance as the wait times can be quite long
Kim