Medical Treatment

[RFHLFC1984]

I have the opportunity to move to Australia with work and was wondering what the situation is with medical treatment.
For example if I need to see a GP or am admitted to hospital etc.
Obviously in the UK this is free under the NHS but what is the deal in Australia please?

[Quoll]

Australia has a co-pay system whereby most Aussies actually pay something out of pocket to the doctor - usually of the order of around $30 per visit (there will be Poms on here who will tell you to hunt around for a bulk billing doctor but they are usually in Medical Centres which don’t necessarily give you continuity of care). Prescriptions also cost and you will be entitled to prescriptions on the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) which will cost you up to about $35 per drug per fill. 

Youre covered for necessary medical treatment under the reciprocal arrangements but bear in mind that “necessary” to you doesn’t automatically mean that the medical item number considers it necessary - so there might be some things that they would expect you to go home for (which can also be tricky if you aren’t a habitual resident of UK!).  You’d be unlucky to find something that isn’t necessary but on another forum a poster found that a procedure to assess for cancer wasn’t covered which was very scary until they discovered their firm had taken private health insurance for them! Things like plastic surgery and elective tonsillectomies spring to mind (ie elective surgeries don’t qualify)