Can you get Private Medical Insurance on a 475?

**Emu** · 09-09-2010, 05:03 PM

Hi, does any one know if I can get Medical Insurance (private) on a 475?
I have checked a few websites and it doesnt seem to cover my visa ...
Any ideas?

**Tina P** · 09-09-2010, 11:39 PM

Hi

We did with Mutual Community - didn't ask me anything about my visa. We also used it for dental while still on the 475 visa.
We have PR now.

I have the silver extra's and its about $17 per week inc ambulance cover. I just went to the shop/centre in Coloandes and joined.

Tina

**Damms** · 11-09-2010, 01:09 PM

Hi

Not sure what type of visa yours is but we came over on a temp skilled work visa and were told by several insurance companies we could only have extras until we became permanent residents. so we took this and ambulance cover, we are now permanent and got private insurance no problem.

Kim

**zaza** · 15-09-2010, 01:31 PM

Hi, we are in the same situation... on 475 with Medicare reciprocal. Spoken to a few private insurances re hospital cover (extras coverage is pretty straight forward so no problem there). What they tell you is that we are only eligible for the visitors cover until we get onto permanent residency. My problem with that is, the visitors cover is designed for people from non- Medicare reciprocal countries, so they cover what our Medicare reciprocal benefit also covers. Hence it's more expensive but for those people Medicare levy is exempt, so that's fair enough I think. But for us, we have to pay Medicare, and if we want the private hospital cover as well, it sounds like we'll have to pay double for the part Medicare is covering? Is that right??

Is anyone aware of health insurance who have hospital plan for people like us - not on permanent res yet and has reciprocal Medicare card? And how bad is public health care here?
Thank you!

**theforrests** · 17-09-2010, 04:10 AM

We came over on the 495 visa (predecessor to the 475) with reciprocal Medicare and we had 'Overseas Cover' with Mutual Community which covered ambulance and hospital stays that would not otherwise be covered by Medicare - we decided that we would rather be safe than sorry. We also had extras cover - which is definitely worth it for dental cover. We now have PR and it was easy to convert to full Private Heath cover.

Hope that helps

**Nick11** · 17-09-2010, 05:11 AM

You can get extras cover for teeth,physio etc. We pay $70 a month. If you want full hospital cover on a 475..you need to take out overseas visitors cover..which is very expensive. We had a quote for a family of 4 for $300 a month..and that was 3 years ago.
We found the medicare to be fine. Never had a problem getting treatment.