Kevin Ring

Hello, I recently went through a similar situation, so I think I can help clarify a few things for you... As a condition of your 457 visa, you'll be required to have "overseas visitors cover", which is private health insurance but is much different from what most Australians think of as private health cover. Private health cover in Australia is usually a supplement to the government-provided Medicare system. But a person on a 457 is not eligible for Medicare at all, so your health cover will be entirely private. There's a decent chance your employer will provide overseas visitors cover, but, if not, it's not as expensive as what you're used to in the US. I used Bupa and was happy with them, so check out https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/cover/overseas-visitors (though there are other companies as well). The first problem you'll face is there there's a 12 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions, meaning they won't cover your Crohn's for the first 12 months. You can get around this, though, by getting a "clearance certificate" from your current (US) insurance company proving that you've had continuous coverage for the year before moving to Australia, and then sending that to your new (Australian) insurance company. Next, you'll probably find that many doctors in Sydney have little to no experience with overseas visitors cover. That means you'll be paying out of pocket then moving a claim yourself directly with your insurance company. It's a hassle, but not too bad once you get the hang of it. Your doctor will probably need to go through a pretty substantial process to get approval for a biologic drug like Humira, though. It won't hurt to call / email around before you arrive to find one who is willing to take you on. It will be a fair bit of work for them. One thing I'm not sure of is how a self-administered injectable like Humira will work, because, as you said, there's usually a $600/yr limit on pharmaceuticals. One thing I do know is that this does not present a problem (other than the process of getting it approved) for medications given by infusion (e.g. rituximab, infliximab) because these are given in a hospital and so the limit does not apply. You might try calling up your insurance company and asking them; I found them to be surprisingly helpful over the phone. Or this might be a good question for the sympathetic doctor above. I don't think you'll have trouble getting approved for the 457 since the government will not be covering your healthcare costs anyway. You probably will have trouble applying for permanent residency in the future, though, as the health requirements there are much more strict. Hope this helps, Kevin