The experience of studying in Australia about medical insurance
Studying in Australia you not only need to pay attention to the academic things, but also need to care about the life aspects, in which medical insurance is a very important item. Here I will introduce you to the situation related to health insurance in Australia, welcome to refer to learn.
Life, always inseparable from the "old, sick and dying" this four words, but to come to Australia in the face of a variety of medical insurance you may be confused. It's a great way to get your money's worth. This is really important! Today, we are going to give you a detailed understanding of the various medical insurance coverage in Australia and the various considerations.
Australia's health insurance classification and introduction
In Australia, health insurance is mainly divided into these categories: >> public health insurance?
Public health insurance is the so-called Medicare, which is what we call free health insurance, as long as you are in Australia, you can get a permanent residence or citizenship. As long as you have permanent residency or are a citizen in Australia, then you will get this insurance card, and access to healthcare is free in most cases, including Bulk Bill-supported GPs, public hospitals and some specialist clinics.
>> Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
You can't take out Medicare, Australia's national health insurance, if you are studying in Australia. Accordingly, if your student visa is extended, you must extend your insurance plan accordingly. If an international student has a spouse or children under the age of 18 accompanying them in Australia, they must also be enrolled in Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).OSHC payments are based on the prevailing medical guideline fee schedule. International students covered by an OSHC policy are entitled to the same health benefits as Australian residents.
Because the public Medicare card is not free everywhere, private health insurance was born, so the main role of private health insurance is to cover what Medicare doesn't cover.
Private health insurance is divided into Hospital Cover and Extra Cover, both of which cover ambulance services.
Hospital Cover: Private hospital insurance includes GPs (family doctors), private hospitals, other specialized clinics, dental surgeries, traditional Chinese medicine and so on which do not support the Bulk Bill, and even private medical insurance can help you to reduce the queuing time in the big hospitals and so on
Extra Cover: Extra medical insurance can help you to reduce the queuing time in the big hospitals and so on
Extra Cover: Extra medical insurance is a kind of medical insurance that you can use for your own health. Cover: Additional medical insurance is a kind of additional insurance, including basic dental care (dental cleaning), glasses and physiotherapy (massage), other physiotherapy and so on government support to buy private medical insurance and related policies
The Australian government has always encouraged people to buy private hospital insurance (does not include additional medical insurance), because the government's health care financial pressure is too great, if everyone is not to buy private hospital insurance, the public hospitals will not have to pay for the medical insurance. If everyone doesn't buy private hospital insurance, public hospitals can hardly afford to pay for the whole country's medical problems. In order to encourage people to take out private hospital insurance and to ease the burden on the public medical institutions, the government has taken some measures to encourage people who have reached the age of 31 to take out private hospital insurance. This is why many people come to Australia and hear that they need to buy private hospital insurance before they turn 31 on July 1st (the start date of the new financial year), otherwise the benefits will not pay for themselves.
>>> Private hospital insurance subsidy ? private health insurance (PHI) rebate
The government will make certain subsidies based on your age and income or family income ▼
According to the table above, in targeting your age and income or family income, you can find the amount of subsidies that you or your family will have to pay if you purchased private health insurance from July 1, 2015- June 20, 2018 if you buy private hospital insurance can enjoy the government subsidy. For example, if your personal income is less than $90,000 per year or your family income (either one) is less than $180,000 per year and you are under 65 years of age, you will be entitled to a 26.791% government subsidy for purchasing private hospital insurance.
>>>Add private hospital insurance penalty ? LHC (Lifetime health cover)
When you meet the age and income criteria, if you don't buy a private hospital cover, the government will remove all the subsidies and add an additional penalty amount when you want to buy a private hospital cover after a few years. The premiums will be increased by an additional 2% per year based on the number of years you have not paid since you turned 31, and will only be reinstated after 10 consecutive years of additional payments, up to a total cap of 70%.
What if you are over 30 when you migrate to Australia? As long as you start purchasing eligible private hospital insurance within 12 months of enrolling in Medicare, you will be exempt from paying the surcharge.
>>> > Personal income tax surcharge ? Medicare levy surcharge
The subsidy alone wasn't enough to attract many people to buy private hospital insurance, so the government made it so that if you didn't buy it by the time you were old enough and your household income met the criteria, the government had to charge you more in personal income tax.
In fact, if you do the math, this tax increase is basically the same as what you would pay for private hospital insurance.
What's more? Public health insuranceAustralia's Commonwealth Healthcare System covers hospitals, outpatient medical care, and pharmaceuticals.
>>> Hospital
According to the Australian government's Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), publicly funded patients are entitled to free accommodation and food in public hospitals, treatment, care, and discharge. Medicare pays 100% of public hospital fees. But! As a publicly-funded patient, you do not have the right to choose your doctor, you must be seen by the hospital's medical staff, you do not get to choose when you are admitted to the hospital or undergo surgery, and you must share a room in a large ward with other patients. You can't choose when to be admitted or have surgery, and you'll have to share a room with other patients in a large ward. (Exceptions are made for emergencies.)
>>> Outpatient Medical Medical
The meaning of Medical here refers to medical care outside of hospitals, such as general and specialist doctor's clinics, medical centers, and lab testing centers. If you have Medicare, you can see a General Practitioner in a clinic without paying a cent, and if you see a Specialist MBS you will be reimbursed 85%. As long as there is a Bulking Billing on the door of the clinic you go to, you don't have to spend a dime!
>>> Pharmaceutical Benefits Pharmaceutical
Under the Australian government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), Medicare provides subsidized prescription drugs to patients. The government has a clear list of subsidized prescription drugs, each prescription drug individual only need to pay out-of-pocket (Co-payment), different prescription drugs have different rates, each drug out-of-pocket maximum of $37.70. However, in Australia, not all drugs belong to the welfare program Oh, some still have to pay out of pocket. The government will adjust the out-of-pocket expenses every year, so please pay attention to it. (For more information, visit http://www.pbs.gov.au/pbs/home)
Medicare reimburses for out-of-hospital medical services:
? General practitioner and specialist visits;
? Medical tests performed by a doctor, such as X-rays, pathology tests, etc.
? Eye examinations operated by ophthalmologists;
? Most surgeries and treatments performed by physicians
? Some dental procedures performed by government-approved dentists;
? and other Medicare-approved medical services.
Out-of-hospital medical services not reimbursable by Medicare are:
? Physical exams required by life insurance, pension management companies, or other member organizations (such as insurance companies, employers, or government agencies);
? Non-clinical medical treatment such as cosmetic treatments;
? ambulance costs (some regional state governments provide free ambulance services for retired and low-income people or residents of the state, such as Queensland and Tasmania);
? Most dental checkups and treatments;
? Most physiotherapy, prosthetics, chiropractic, and home care costs;
? Acupuncture (unless recommended by your doctor);
? Myopia glasses and contact lenses;
? Hearing aids;
? Home care;
? Medical expenses incurred by the cardholder outside the country.
PS: If you need medical tests such as X-rays, MRI*** vibration, etc., you must choose a Medicare-registered imaging center for Medicare to reimburse you for the related medical expenses.
Read more? Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
OSHC is similar to Medicare, which means that international students are actually covered by an OSHC policy, which gives them the same healthcare benefits as Australian residents.
>>> What does OSHC cover?
? Reimbursement for in-hospital medical services (e.g. GP) that are on the Medically Directed Billing Scale (MBS, mentioned above);
>>> What does OSHC insurance cover? 100% reimbursement for in-hospital medical services (e.g., surgery) that are on the medically directed fee schedule (MBS);
? Reimbursement of board and lodging in a multi-occupancy room in a public hospital or a private hospital that has an agreement with the insurer;
? Reimbursement of medication from $50 per serving up to a maximum of $300 ($600 for family members) for one year for each member. Overseas students are likely to face a huge expense of medical supplies, especially oncology (cancer) treatment, without any proper insurance coverage;
? Ambulance services.
What is not covered by OSHC insurance?
? Expenses incurred in advance before traveling to Australia;
? expenses incurred while traveling to or from Australia;
? Overseas students who have been removed from Australia or who are dependent on Australia for any reason;
? have been awarded damages and compensation grants.
>>> How can international students use OSHC to see a doctor?
Although you are an international student, you can visit a GP or public hospital outpatient clinic in T&A, or be referred to a specialist. As usual, all visits to public hospitals are free.
The OSHC insurance company usually provides 24-hour emergency advice and assistance to its members. If you have any questions, you can contact your insurance company at any time. Some insurance companies provide translation services for their members.
>>> How do I get reimbursed for OSHC visits?
The difference between the doctor's fee and the MBS reimbursement rate is your own share of the cost, for example, GP visits are generally reimbursed at 100% based on the MBS rate set by Medicare Australia. For example, the difference between the doctor's fee and the MBS reimbursement rate is your responsibility. For example, a GP's fee is generally reimbursed at 100% of the MBS rate under the Australian National Health Insurance. and then go to your insurance company for reimbursement with receipts (recommended) Can be billed directly to your insurance company by the medical provider (best option!) You can apply for reimbursement through your insurance company's website (not recommended, very complicated and prone to errors!). You can go to your school's partner site and apply for reimbursement directly
If you need to be hospitalized, usually the hospital will send the bill directly to your insurance company. If you are hospitalized in a private hospital, it is best to check with your insurance company to see if the hospital is covered for reimbursement. If it's not, then you need to think about it, because you'll personally have to pay for the extra hospitalization.
>>> How do I buy medicines from OSHC?
OSHC has restrictions on reimbursement for prescription drugs, so international students may have to spend more on medication. Generally, insurance companies limit reimbursement to $50 per drug and $300 per person per year ($600 per family per year). When purchasing medication, you personally have to pay the co-payment for each medication. If the cost of the drug exceeds $50, you will have to pay the excess amount. If you exceed your annual drug reimbursement limit, you will have to pay for any future costs. You will have to pay all the costs out-of-pocket and then reimburse your insurance company.
Explained in detail? Private medical insuranceThe so-called public healthcare is not enough, private healthcare comes in! Whether you hate the slow queuing and delayed treatment of public healthcare, or those dental checkups, optometry, etc. which are not covered by public healthcare, you can find your favorite one in the private medical insurance. There are a lot of different types of private health insurance, so you can buy it as you need it.
Australian private medical insurance usually includes: Hospital Cover, General Treatment Cover or Ancillary or Extras Cover, Ambulance Cover.
>>> Hospital Cover
Hospital cover is insurance that helps to pay for all or part of the costs incurred when you are admitted to a hospital, including the cost of doctor's services, accommodation and food in hospital, the cost of the operating theatre, the cost of medicines, and ambulance costs if necessary. Generally, private hospital insurance includes the basic hospital cover provided by Medicare, the national health insurance, with the addition of hospital services not reimbursed by Medicare, depending on the type of insurance. For example, if a private patient receives medical care in either a public or private hospital, Medicare will reimburse 75% of the cost based on the MBS criteria, and the private insurance you buy will reimburse you for the remaining 25% as well as other costs.
>>> Additional Insurance General Treatment Cover
Additional insurance is also known as Extras Cover, which, as the name suggests, covers General Treatment or Complementary Treatment that is not reimbursed by Medicare. The Extras Cover, as the name suggests, covers general treatment or ancillary cover that is not covered by Medicare. Examples include dental, physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, prescription glasses and contact lenses, home care, hearing aids, and prosthetics. (Generally there is a limit to the amount of reimbursement for these ancillary treatments by the additional insurance) Extras Cover can be bought separately or together with Hospital Cover. However, please note that Extras Cover alone, without Hospital Cover, will not waive the Medicare Levy Surcharge of 1% of taxable income for high income families/individuals.In addition, ambulance insurance is also included in Extras Cover. There are also some insurance companies that accept separate ambulance coverage.
The following are some of the more popular add-on insurance policies:
>>> Dental
As we all know, dental care is very expensive overseas, and the dentist will charge you AUD 70 for a 10-minute extraction procedure. The dentist charges AUD 70 for just a few minutes of tooth extraction. The most important thing to remember is that you can't afford to pay for your own dental work, and you can't afford to pay for your own dental work if you don't want to.
>>> chiropractic
Acupuncture and physiotherapy class of the insured can be reimbursed 400 Australian dollars per person per year (if you are insuring a family plan, two adults + a child, that is, the three insured, not only the premiums are relatively cheap and the insured is three, the amount of money multiplied by three), used to receive traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage and other services. This program is also the most common among Chinese people. This program is also one of the most popular among Chinese people.
>>> Optical Dispensing
Optical Dispensing is a category of eyeglasses that reimburses $250 per year, per insured person, which you can use for eyeglasses or contact lenses, with frames accounting for 1/3 or 1/2 of the total (depending on the amount of each insurance plan). Insurance coverage and usage is calculated on a calendar year (1/1-12/31), so at the end of each year, Chinese opticians advertise in the newspaper with headlines like, "It's the end of the year, come get a pair of glasses, don't waste this year's share. strong>
Some private health insurance plans include ambulance insurance, where the insurer pays for the cost of an ambulance if one is needed. In Australia, most state and territory governments do not provide free emergency ambulance services, and ambulance insurance varies from state to state
This is an overview of health insurance in Australia. However, there is a huge variety of health insurance in Australia, especially private health insurance, and almost everything that is not covered by public healthcare can be found in private health insurance. In general, the public health insurance given to citizens and international students in Australia can already protect people's basic medical needs, and private health insurance should be purchased as needed.
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