helenarthur Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Well, being quite elderly, the move and finding your way around the oz system of doctors proved scary. We are on basic UK pension, and find some things are so expensive, and others really cheap. On a 143 visa, the first 2 years you pay full price for all your medications. Flomaxtra (for men) is not subscribed by the health service, and is 50$ per month. After 2 years, we understand you can get a centrelink card which gives you prescriptions at say 5$ each for approved medication. Having a cateract off, i was out of pocket by 2,000$ after a refund of part. You pay at the hospital when you go in a few hundred dollars for day admission (dont get back). You can go on a waiting list i believe, but no one seems to do this, you see a specialist, he charges, then you get part back from medicare. There are 2 types of doctors.....1) bulk bill, and you dont pay to see the doctor 2) private, and you get a refund from medicare of about half his charges when you see the doctor everytime.. It is lovely living at Wynnum bay, Brisbane. The winter is very cold from 4pm, and you need heat on. In the daytime blue skies and you can sit out in the sunshine. Its taken a year to really settle in. Our son and 2 granddaughters are in Brisbane area, and it was all worth the move to be a family again. There are beautiful places in this area, and the Australian people are just great. Oh, we found second hand cars are expensive compared with UK and we wished we had shipped our car. Best of all, you hardly ever get parking charges, and people with boats have dozens of places you can just slip your boat in the water at no charge, park your car free, and enjoy yourself. Loads of dams for keen water skiing. and the river and sea. What do i miss, LIGHT EVENINGS, you never get them here. Bye for now and good luck to you all. Helenarthur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheArmChairDetective Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Fantastic post, I have friends in the Brisbane area and they never mentioned the lack of light evenings. You get to learn things on here. Enjoy your retirement, I hope to get out that way myself in due course. Or should I say, that looks like the only way left for me, hope i get there :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 What a lovely post and glad you are a family again :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munchkinella Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Really happy for you Helen. :wubclub: We came out to be with our kids too, though OH is still working. Being together as a family is fantastic isn't it? Take care Jxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.