russ and claire Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Having read in the papers today that to see a doctor, they are talking about eventually using skype/phone calls and that the nhs has to save £20bn. At our surgery we have phone calls and I feel it works for some issues but not others. What is the healthcare like in Oz? I know you pay insurance etc... but what about waiting list etc... Sorry it's a bit of a vague thread but I'm baking and was curious :laugh: you know how it is when you start think about things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737422172 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 (edited) There is the Medicare system that provides free healthcare. If you are a permanent resident or citizen then you qualify. If you are British then you will also qualify under the reciprocal health care agreement/arrangement for medically necessary treatment. You will need to get a Medicare card. Once you have that you can register at a bulk billing doctors for no charge or you can register at any other doctors who would charge a higher fee than the standard rate of which you will need to pay the difference. You can also take out private medical insurance very much like here in the UK. Hope that gets you started. Edited November 25, 2012 by wakeboard1980 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737422172 Long night of EPL mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ and claire Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 Thank you for the replies. Do you think it's a much better system to the nhs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimsdu Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 (edited) Thank you for the replies.Do you think it's a much better system to the nhs? Oz usually ranks in the top 10 worldwide for healthcare system, UK is usually about 17th in comparison.. ALways at number 1 is France and Canada is also at the top. USA is in the late 30 - 40th position... However it depends which rank you look at... On one UK is 8th and Oz is 37th !!! Edited November 25, 2012 by kimsdu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Thank you for the replies.Do you think it's a much better system to the nhs? 6 of 1 1/2 doz of the other. Both have their good and bad points. I suppose overall, I/we have nothing to complain about with the dealings we have had in the areas that we have lived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Private health insurance is a problem. Legally they are only allowed to repay you up to 80% of the Medicare cost of treatment. That percentage is often even lower, and the Medicare cost is usually just a fraction of what a private hospital will charge. This leaves you massively out of pocket. If you ever hit chronic poor health, you are likely to have to use your pension fund or home equity to pay the bills, even with insurance. Also, when you get treated, you will get separate bills for doctor, anaesthetist, hospital and pharmacy. Nobody will be able to tell you beforehand how far out of pocket you'll be. IMO the NHS is the best healthcare system in the world. It prioritised according to need and is basically free at the point of delivery so nobody has to forego treatment or medicines because they can't afford it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 The advantage of private though is that you don't have to wait. The public health system in Australia is also how you have described the nhs, as far as I'm aware. Private health insurance is a problem. Legally they are only allowed to repay you up to 80% of the Medicare cost of treatment. That percentage is often even lower, and the Medicare cost is usually just a fraction of what a private hospital will charge. This leaves you massively out of pocket. If you ever hit chronic poor health, you are likely to have to use your pension fund or home equity to pay the bills, even with insurance. Also, when you get treated, you will get separate bills for doctor, anaesthetist, hospital and pharmacy. Nobody will be able to tell you beforehand how far out of pocket you'll be. IMO the NHS is the best healthcare system in the world. It prioritised according to need and is basically free at the point of delivery so nobody has to forego treatment or medicines because they can't afford it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 (edited) Another example of how the system works here: I was recently asked by my doctor to have an MRI done. Neither Medicare or my private healthcare covers outpatient radiology so I had to pay $328 out of pocket. Had I been referred by a specialist my private healthcare would have contributed $200 towards it. However the hospital doing the test jack the price up to $528 for specialist referrals and I would also have had to pay to see the specialist - so in this case the private cover was of zero benefit. Personally, I think the health insurance companies have you over a barrel. When families are forced to choose a. give extra money to the tax man or b. take out health insurance, it doesn't offer the companies much incentive for competition. Edited November 25, 2012 by Peach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ and claire Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 Private health insurance is a problem. Legally they are only allowed to repay you up to 80% of the Medicare cost of treatment. That percentage is often even lower, and the Medicare cost is usually just a fraction of what a private hospital will charge. This leaves you massively out of pocket. If you ever hit chronic poor health, you are likely to have to use your pension fund or home equity to pay the bills, even with insurance. Also, when you get treated, you will get separate bills for doctor, anaesthetist, hospital and pharmacy. Nobody will be able to tell you beforehand how far out of pocket you'll be. IMO the NHS is the best healthcare system in the world. It prioritised according to need and is basically free at the point of delivery so nobody has to forego treatment or medicines because they can't afford it. Thank you or that, I hadn't thought about the long term health or for operations. I think that's why the nhs is very good but having worked for the nhs in mental health, it is scary. Also the pay is dreadful for the hours etc that you have to work and conditions and there is talk about them changing the pay scale, so not sure what the future holds for nursing in the nhs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ and claire Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 Another example of how the system works here: I was recently asked by my doctor to have an MRI done. Neither Medicare or my private healthcare covers outpatient radiology so I had to pay $328 out of pocket. Had I been referred by a specialist my private healthcare would have contributed $200 towards it. However the hospital doing the test jack the price up to $528 for specialist referrals and I would also have had to pay to see the specialist - so in this case the private cover was of zero benefit. Wow I thought that's what the private healthcare and medicare was for :wideeyed: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Also, I was sent by my GP to the pathology nurse for blood tests (usuaully the Pathology clinic and lab is another seperate private company next door to - or within - the GP surgery) and asked to sign a form that said "if any of the requested tests are not covered by Medicare I agree to pay the bill". So for weeks I was waiting to see if a bill for an unknown amount would arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Wow I thought that's what the private healthcare and medicare was for :wideeyed: I have found Oz healthcare to be very good - as good as the NHS - but shockingly expensive. When you have kids, it can be a real worry. There is little to no bulk billing in 'good' areas, and you get hit $30 ish 'gap' for a GP visit - hurts when you're on a low income (our income doesn't qualify for benefits). You are slugged for private insurance, and there is a 'gap' to pay for hospital treatment if you go privately - between what the practitioners charge and what your private insurer will pay. Example is I had a minor op privately - 2 day hospital admission - 'gap' around $3,000. Told I would wait forever in the public system, and that 'no gap' practitioners would be trainees at best. Gap fee for blood test - $100, gap fee for dental treatment (17 year old wisdom teeth extraction) $1,000. I pay a lot on my health cover! Healthcare provision is one of the reasons I want to return to the UK as I get older, and my earning capacity diminishes. If you can earn big money here, you can have a lovely life. The rest of us struggle, and I envy my friends in the UK who can seek medical care without thinking of it as some kind of luxurious treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Tough one to answer I think the healthcare here is very good, if you can afford it or have comprehensive insurance that will cover it. My wife is currently getting excellent obstetric care, far better than she had in the NHS, but they're very very keen to refer to to Uncle Tom Cobley and all for more tests/consultations. No worries for us as we aren't directly paying, but some of the bills are eye-watering. She's had a minor glandular issue and the endocrinologist and associated path fees must be well north of $2000 by now. By the time the whole process is played out with all the various specialists, tests, accommodation and everything I suspect our insurer won't be getting much change out of $15K, which seems pretty salty The billing and refund systems are simple on the face of it - you pay a separate bill to each service provider, so each specialist, GP, path lab etc etc will bill you separately. Then just stick them on one claim form to your insurer and get refunded - but as has been alluded to above, it's being able to get any sort of prediction as to what treatment is likely to cost that is difficult. It's a similar scenario with Medicare - most treatments are partially refundable, but it's not knowing in advance how much you might be exposed for that's hard to assess. Under Medicare you are entitled to free treatment in a public hospital, much like the NHS. I can't speak for how that works because I have no experience Would also like to point out I actually like the way you have to pay to see the GP - just like it used to be in Sweden where I once lived - stops the surgeries being full up of hypochondriacs. I also like the way you can choose the specialist you like, just as you'd choose any other service, and just ring them up and make your own appointments rather than get lost in some bureaucratic referral system that's still in the 1960s, where you wait weeks for a letter telling you when to attend, and then enter Dante's first circle if you have the temerity to try and change it. NHS, I'm not sure about. I am 90% sure at times in the UK we experienced GP fundholders making decisions with one eye on their budgets rather than based on strictly clinical need, which I hate. Once you're in "the system" I think it's pretty good, but there's a lot wrong with the bureaucracy that runs it. Ultimately any healthcare system in the western world is up against it with ageing populations and treatments that get a lot more expensive a lot more rapidly than inflation. And with rising expectations - people read about a new (and expensive) treatment and expect to get it. Not sure any government has successfully grappled with the answer to that one yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger2shirts Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Generally its pretty good but make sure you have all dental work done in the UK as it is mega expensive here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Unfortunately our family has had a lot to do with the health system. To put a few things that are correct. We have doctor of our choice in GP so if we do not like the surgery we can just go to another. Some Doctors bulk bill ie you will not have to pay. Some Doctors do not bulk bill and you will be out of pocket after the medicare refund. We have to pay for all our prescriptions. We have to pay for physio and xrays etc not done in a public hospital. Unless the doctor asks for them to be bulk billed we pay for blood tests. If we have an urgent condition no matter what it is, what age we are, or who we are we get treatment in a public hospital very quickly. The condition my oh has would probably be considered as not worth treating in UK due to his age and the outcomes, but because we live in Australia he has had the best of care in a public hospital and they have extended his life. For me this seems to be the most important difference in our system. My daughter has also a terminal condition and she is looked after in the public system and when she was originally diagnosed she waited one day to have an operation. My Mum who is 93 had a heart attack a while back, into hospital, sorted her out and she is back home living alone getting on with her life. From what my sister who worked high up in the NHS and what I read I do not like the way its run in the UK these days. One trust will give treatment, one won't deciding who can live and who cannot for money is not the way for me. Private health insurance. In my opinion its not needed until you get older unless you want an obstetrician of choice when having a child. In that case you would need to get into a fund before you got pregnant to be illegible. Same goes for any pre existing condition need to be in the fund for 12 months. If people are not in the fund by the age of 31 then decide at 40 they want private health insurance, the premiums go up by 2% for every year after 31. So if you go in late on like we did our premiums are much higher however its now we are older we need things done, so its swings and roundabouts. We have a medical savings account which we put money into every week and have done for years. I had my knee replaced early this year and with the cost of health insurance plus the out of pocket expenses it cost us $7,000.00 Waiting lists can be long for anything that is not urgent or life threatening. In Victoria its best to take out ambulance insurance as they are not free and it costs a lot to use them. Pensioners do get it free though. As for prescriptions even pensioners have to pay for them albeit at a reduced amount. I whinge about the health system from time to time but really it works well and having choice is the main thing. For example my oh was told by a surgeon that his problem was inoperable due to morbidity with the op. So we did not like that because apart from his condition he is a fit and healthy person, so researched who is who got a second opinion, he has had the op and it went fine, did not even have to go into intensive care. Which system do I prefer ours. Also as to the best health systems I read that it was Taiwan that had the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellers and Whitehead Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 I wrote a long message but phone messed up, basically I would vote nhs over is services/practices anyway. Even if they bulk bill I have still had to pay for stuff I wouldn't have in the UK. Doctors not professional, I've seen about 5 so far. Dental work I need is 300 pounds in UK, Oz it is minimum $3500..same treatment. I would much prefer to be treated in the UK for mental health than Oz hypothetically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janine the party queen Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 I think a lot depends on where you live.Up here in Darwin we have 1 Private Hospital and 1 Public.Waiting times can be awful.Most specialist only visit every couple of months.Any complicated medical issues are nomaly sent to one of the other big cities.All my treatment is being done through Brisbane Private..........a 4.5 hr flight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 I think both systems are good. The NHS is fairer in that it is free for anyone to see a GP. Service provision varies enormously here. For example in Geelong there is no public access gynaecology or gastroenterology. The waiting lists for elective orthopaedic surgery are horrendous. There is no 2 week wait system for suspected cancer like there is in the NHS. But, you have very quick access to radiology and pathology, making things a lot quicker than the NHS. It could be argued however that this creates a culture of instant gratification for patients, when in reality, a lot of problems fix themselves if you do nothing, or in other words, a culture of over investigation of conditions that would otherwise improve. Patients are under the false impression that it is always good to investigate every avenue of possibility, whereas in reality, the experience of a good GP can sort a lot of wheat from chaff, and selected only those tests which will actually influence/change management. Which is in most cases, none. Private insurance here is more affordable and reduces tax liability, BUT IMO it is a bit of a rip off, like a lot of service industries in Aus. Ironically, you are better going into a public hospital if you are admitted for a stroke because you will be linked in with OTs social workers physios etc for nothing, compared to a private hospital where such 'aftercare' is very patchy, or non existent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Have to add that if you have a good GP and stick with him/her then they can pull the strings if there is a problem. We have been going to the same GP for many many years, part of a large clinic and we do see others from time to time, but we are very satisfied with the clinic despite the fact they are not bulk billers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Have to add that if you have a good GP and stick with him/her then they can pull the strings if there is a problem. We have been going to the same GP for many many years, part of a large clinic and we do see others from time to time, but we are very satisfied with the clinic despite the fact they are not bulk billers. agree totally. The fact that patients are free to pick and choose between doctors at random is good and bad. Good because it gives them choices. Bad because it means that no GP holds the patient's comprehensive medical history, unless the patient only sees that GP. The reality is that patients chop and change according to what day of the week it is, whether they have been paid that week, whether the last dr gave them what they wanted etc. Net result: poor medical records, potentially sub standard medical care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 (edited) I've recently been using the Medicare system. I have an op tomorrow. I can only praise them to the hilt! I went private last year and they missed something which has now been picked up by the normal system and I haven't had to pay a penny for mammograms or ultrasounds blooditests etc etc etc Medicare is fab and to be fair sister is an Emergency Department nurse so I have to say she does a fab job too bit is hampered by management. Edited November 26, 2012 by Que Sera, Sera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugby Lad Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 At the fundamental level no different to any other OECD nation, except the USA. Obviously there are small, bureaucratic differences which, as always, are about funding. Emergency care in the public, medicare system is excellent; as good as anywhere in the world. (Of course I'm biased with my job, I'll be upfront about that.) Day to day stuff if you have a bulk-billing doctor is also very good, though prescription charges (esp. with 3 kids) can be pretty steep. But as Harpo said there are problems with continuity and as migrants knowing where to find a decent GP can be difficult. It's the elective stuff - as in every western nation - where it all becomes hit and miss. Australia has gone down the carrot (tax-breaks, subsidies) and stick (extra-medicare levies) route to force even average wage earners to take out private health insurance. A lot of it seems to be a rip-off with very large gaps and even less care than the medicare system. Out here in country NSW you wouldn't drag me into a private hospital. Nice carpets and curtains and your own telly but the level of care well below that of the public hospitals (due to understaffing, doctors only working 9 - 5, often on FIFO from Sydney, nurses not as experienced in looking after acutely sick patients etc.) Also as NSP says a lot of over-testing and over-treating with one eye on the cash and the system is unsustainable long term. But so is the NHS, the much lauded French system etc. with aging populations. Governments need to really grab this one - but given the quality of Australian politicians hell will freeze over first. Dental is another matter entirely. 100% rip-off. Can't think of any redeeming features of the Australian system (unless filthy rich dentists is your aim). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I think the healthcare here is very good, if you can afford it or have comprehensive insurance that will cover it. Where are you getting comprehensive medical cover? I thought they were limited by law in the amount they could reimburse but would be glad to be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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