private health query

[Bazarooney]

hi my hubbie and i are new members we are in the first stages of emigrating we have a teenage son who is very well but has a genetic condition affecting his lungs. We have been told we may not be able to get private health care. We are now not sure if we can continue, before we have even started. Does anyone know whether we definately need private health care or would medicare be enough?

[sarahsmartiepants]

Not knowing the full ins and outs of your sons conditions, it would be hard to say. We have just taken out "extras" cover and wont bother with the hospital cover. From what I have learnt over the last 2 yrs, if you have a life threatening or very bad illness and you go to hos/docs you will be seen to striaght away. The ozzies I have spoken to take out hospital cover as they dont like to wait a small 3 month for elective surgery or non life threatening.
sarah

[Rachiegarlo]

Healthcare for children here is good. For example the kids withCF regularly come into clinic and are admitted straight away for IV antibiotics and get the physio they need if there are any concerns. You wont need private healthcare for your child. You may be able to get extras to cover dental and other physio etc.

I don't know whether this is possible, but I have privatehealth cover with Mutual Community which I notice is actually owned by BUPA which operates in UK I think, so maybe you could look into transferring straight to an australian subsiduary if they have one.

Good luck
Rachel

[Bazarooney]

thanks for the replies on our queries it confirms what we thought but it is nice to hear from poeple who live in adelaide . You seem to know about CF and physio have you heard of PCD primary ciliary dykenesia affecting cilia hairs in the body. Do you think the weather will help him?

[Rachiegarlo]

It must be pretty rare, I've never come across a child at work with it, but looked it up and I'd say ongoing therapy is probably similar to CF kids as far as antibiotics and physio. I'm not sure about the weather, it can be damp air in winter,but then winter is not very long. Perhaps talk to your son's respiratory specialist about whether the drier air here would help.

Rachel

[Bazarooney]

thanks for the reply we had a bank holiday and it was hot for 3 days so we made the most of it and spent time in the garden i'm sure you can remember what that was like , chasing the sun round the back garden just to get a little more! I am going to ask the brompton hospital about the damp weather but it must be better than here , if they agree I think we are gonna go for it ......scary.

[Rachiegarlo]

Talked to a physio at work, who said there are a few kids here that are treated in the WCH and their treatment is the same as with the CF kids, so I should imagine that transferring his care if you are successful in your visa app. would be straight forward. I have seen a couple of kids here from UK or South Africa with varying conditions and usually their consultant contacts who ever it will be here to say they are coming and then provides a detailed letter of their care etc for you to bring.

Good luck
Rachel

[Bazarooney]

sorry for being a bit thick but what is the WCH , lets hope he gets through the medical he has to have an x-ray because he is 15, thanks for your reply. What is the weather like at the moment over there?

[cormcvcr]

It's the Women and Childrens Hospital, that's the only bit of help I can give in this conversation, Rachel lost me, but is very informative so hopefully she has given you some comfort, to help with making your decision.

Good luck x

[Rachiegarlo]

Womens and childrens hospital, it's the childrens hosp for SA , Northern Territory and border parts of NSW and VIC cos they are closer to us thanSydney or Melb. The weathe is not bad, we are in Autumn, It's getting cold at night, we've had some rain but some days are sunny and about 18 degreesC. This hosp is where your son would be treated until he was 18 but maybe more because some of the young CFs go here until they are in their 20s cos the Adult hosps don't have the experience or room for their care. Same with some cardiacs, cos the adult docs never got the experience with these types as they used to rarely live beyond teens.