Health insurance for 300/820 holders - help!

[TheWayOfThePony]

Hi all,

I'm now in my last month before the Big Leap to Australia and I'm trying to work out my medical insurance. I'm hoping someone can help as I'm getting quite confused with what I'm entitled to as a PMV (and later 820) holder.

The way I understood it the PMV doesn't give you access to Medicare, but 820 does? but then I see (https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements) there is reciprocal health care agreement for visitors from the UK (which *seems* to include EU residents as well) to Australia, but perhaps it just concerns tourists and not migrants?

Should I subscribe to a private insurance, and for how long (hoping the answer to that is not "until you get PR"! )?

I'm not a UK citizen but have been a EU resident (and taxpayer) here for over a decade and have a National Insurance Number etc, and have no medical condition, if that helps. I'm marrying an Australian citizen.

Thank you for your help!

[lilpenguinlost]

When you arrive in Australia on a PMV, you will NOT be eligible for MediCare.

After you get married, you will be able to apply for your Partner Visa 820/801. Once this has been submitted (ie you get the instantaneous automatic Bridging Visa A) - you will be able to apply for MediCare.

Health Care timeline:

• as soon as you arrive in Australia, get some "visitor's cover" from a private medical insurer
• once you've applied for your 820/801 visa, go to a MediCare office and get yourself onto MediCare (see "what should I bring to MediCare" section of MediCare eligibility link below)
• call your private medical insurer, inform them that you are now on MediCare and change your policy to a supplemental policy (since around July 2016, there is a requirement for everyone to have supplementary private cover to MediCare, otherwise you pay more tax, or something like that)

To be clear, once you have applied for your 820/801 visa, you will have satisfied the 2nd bullet point on the MediCare eligibility page
"an applicant for a permanent visa (some exclusions apply) who has the right to work in Australia or who has a parent, spouse or child who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen (who is an Australian resident)"

 

[TheWayOfThePony]

On 11/08/2017 at 03:05, lilpenguinlost said:

When you arrive in Australia on a PMV, you will NOT be eligible for MediCare.

After you get married, you will be able to apply for your Partner Visa 820/801. Once this has been submitted (ie you get the instantaneous automatic Bridging Visa A) - you will be able to apply for MediCare.

Health Care timeline:

• as soon as you arrive in Australia, get some "visitor's cover" from a private medical insurer
• once you've applied for your 820/801 visa, go to a MediCare office and get yourself onto MediCare (see "what should I bring to MediCare" section of MediCare eligibility link below)
• call your private medical insurer, inform them that you are now on MediCare and change your policy to a supplemental policy (since around July 2016, there is a requirement for everyone to have supplementary private cover to MediCare, otherwise you pay more tax, or something like that)

To be clear, once you have applied for your 820/801 visa, you will have satisfied the 2nd bullet point on the MediCare eligibility page
"an applicant for a permanent visa (some exclusions apply) who has the right to work in Australia or who has a parent, spouse or child who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen (who is an Australian resident)"

 

Thank you SO much for a very clear and complete answer! Confusion over