457 Visa .... healthcare options?

[Guest Libby2_2]

Hi there,

 

 

The company that will be employing me are currently sorting out my 457 visa, and have emailed requesting my health insurance details (which i have just found out you need to do beforehand with the 457!). They obviously want me to sort it all out asap to progress the visa, but i dont want to rush into it and make the wrong decision!

 

Reading the forums and the privatehealth.gov.au, i have picked up some answers but not all of them! i.e. that the Ambulance is done direct through the SA website.

 

On a 457 visa does it have to be private or can it be medicare? (as it seems the medicare is something you do on arrival, and i need it done beforehand?!)

 

I have had a few quotes and are unsure as to what level of cover to go for. Do people just go for hospital cover or the combined to include general treatment. Its a difficult thing to choose as you don't want to scrimp, but you don't want to unneccesarily pay over the odds! What are people roughly paying a month for a couple?

 

Any help would be much appreciated on this one, as i have to make a very quick decision!

 

Thanks Liz

[mikeh]

I'm on a 457 visa, my company wanted me on a private health insurance - http://www.austhealth.com/ I went with Budget

 

Check it out, also when you get here get yourself registered with Medicare

[Guest Renal Nurse]

Hi, Libby & Mikeh, hope you don't mind me tagging on your thread.

Can you help me with a couple of questions, as you seem further ahead than me and might be able to help.

 

I have just received a verbal job offer. Waiting for sponsorship (457) visa application to be initiated. I understand that myself and my family need health insurance to comply with the visa. I've had a look at the site mikeh recommended. Gosh early $200 per month for the family. Ho hum.

Do I just need health insurance while I'm on the 457, i.e if I successfully apply for perm visa once there, will i no longer need the health insurance?

Is the insurance forward booked, like a normal holiday insurance, from the date I arrive?

Does the EHIC card cover anything?

 

thanks an anticipation for any help you can give me.

[jimmyskinner]

We used iman they are advertised at the top of this page, $150 per month for the 2 of us including ambulance cover, thats pretty basic cover to satisfy the 457 visa conditions. You can cancel it once you have perm res but still need ambulance cover.

Edited March 29, 2013 by jimmyskinner

[debbie lawrence]

Hi we came out here in December on a 457 visa and like you (and everyone) needed to show that we had health insurance, we got cover with BUPA which they did really quickly and then it got submitted with our visa application, when we got here we registered with Medicare (which is reciprocal with our NHS) and cancelled the BUPA, must admit haven't yet sorted anything else out (really must do it) as need to get dental etc but think you get those as extras cover rather than full blown private cover for everything, good luck with it all. Debbie & Mark

[Guest Renal Nurse]

Thanks for this.

 

silly question coming up:

 

when applying for health insurance, did you forward date the policy to start when you expected to arrive in oz, or get it to start right away so it was active when you submitted your visa application?

 

thanks again

[Guest bitman]

Hi we came out here in December on a 457 visa and like you (and everyone) needed to show that we had health insurance, we got cover with BUPA which they did really quickly and then it got submitted with our visa application, when we got here we registered with Medicare (which is reciprocal with our NHS) and cancelled the BUPA, must admit haven't yet sorted anything else out (really must do it) as need to get dental etc but think you get those as extras cover rather than full blown private cover for everything, good luck with it all. Debbie & Mark

 

thank you for this useful info

we are waiting for our trn number for the 457 visa