Health insurance on bridging visa for aged parents

[Suzie Wambui]

I'm trying to find the cost of health insurance on bridging visas prior to grant of 804/864 visas that cover cardiac, for an 80 yr old female. No history of cardiac issues, but at her age cardiac is the most likely thing to go badly wrong. I rang Bupa and they happily told me all about their visitor insurance, and how they don't ramp premiums up with age, which is true, but they don't cover anything that you might be at risk of when you do get older, like cardiac, cataracts etc.  Does anyone know which insurers offer comprehensive (and undoubtedly expensive) visitor health insurance?

Thanks

 

[VERYSTORMY]

This is going to be an issue. Getting private health care at this age is going to be an issue. 

It is something that I always say is something people considering spending years on bridging visas, particular in later years (best case if she has just applied 5 - 8 years to grant). She will, if from the UK get Medicare for basics. But, this may not be enough and she should have hopefully have planned significant amounts of money for health costs (even with insurance the out of pocket could be large). 

She should also be made aware that popping back to the UK for NHS care is now no longer possible. 

[Britgirl29]

My parents (67 and 68) are in Australia on a bridging visa after applying for an 864 visa. They have couples health insurance with HCF with gold hospital cover (top one) and silver extras cover for around $350 a month. Recently it covered my mum having a knee replacement in a private hospital and private rehab centre with minimum out of pocket expenses. They were very pleased with how much it covered. Because they got it within a year of being in Australia they didn't have to pay the lifetime loading charge for private healthcare

I believe (but best to check with a health fund) that visitor health insurance is for when you are on a visitors visa. Being on a bridging visa allows you to access more choices of health cover.

If you or family are already in Australia I'd suggest going into an HCF store and speaking to someone about your options

[Marisawright]

38 minutes ago, Britgirl29 said:

My parents (67 and 68) are in Australia on a bridging visa after applying for an 864 visa. They have couples health insurance with HCF with gold hospital cover (top one) and silver extras cover for around $350 a month

On a bridging visa, your parents are legally non-residents and therefore Overseas Visitors health cover is all they are eligible for.

I’ve often wondered if parents walked into one of the health insurers and just said they needed insurance, whether the consultant would check their passports. They’ve certainly never checked mine! Sounds like your parents have got away with it. Might be a useful loophole 

[Britgirl29]

7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

On a bridging visa, your parents are legally non-residents and therefore Overseas Visitors health cover is all they are eligible for.

I’ve often wondered if parents walked into one of the health insurers and just said they needed insurance, whether the consultant would check their passports. They’ve certainly never checked mine! Sounds like your parents have got away with it. Might be a useful loophole 

Ah that's interesting! I know they told the HCF store staff they were on bridging visas, but I think that a lot of people (myself included), don't know the intricacies of what that means. Even at our local medicare centre my parents were incorrectly told they didn't get reciprocal medicare, it was only when they went into the main Sydney one they were able to grant it. 

@Suzie Wambui I'd suggest having a look at the different health care providers to see what they cover as they often differ. You should bear in mind though most have a 12 -24 month waiting period before you can access the more expensive services 

[Marisawright]

48 minutes ago, Britgirl29 said:

Ah that's interesting! I know they told the HCF store staff they were on bridging visas, but I think that a lot of people (myself included), don't know the intricacies of what that means.

You are right, and for that reason I suspect that the consultant at HCF didn't know what it meant either, as I'm pretty sure they aren't entitled to the cover they've got.  Not that i'm suggesting they should complain!

Edited March 20, 2019 by Marisawright

[Suzie Wambui]

Thanks - Reciprocal health care is a risk for us, as my mother is a UK citizen but not a UK resident. She's done several big trips round Oz, and did at one stage have a reciprocal card, but got rumbled around 10 years ago, so that's probably on the record. Will check HCF. Thanks

[VERYSTORMY]

There is one big thing you both need to think about. The fact that at 80 her health is going to deteriorate. But, in 5 - 8 years time she will face a medical for the visa. The medical does not make allowance for age. It is the same requirements as a 30 year old PR applicant. If she fails it, she will have to leave. 

You both need to think about what that might mean. 

[ramot]

25 minutes ago, VERYSTORMY said:

There is one big thing you both need to think about. The fact that at 80 her health is going to deteriorate. But, in 5 - 8 years time she will face a medical for the visa. The medical does not make allowance for age. It is the same requirements as a 30 year old PR applicant. If she fails it, she will have to leave. 

You both need to think about what that might mean. 

Having just had the medical 10 days ago aged in our mid  70’s it really wasn’t too bad. You have a chest X-ray, blood taken to check for HIV etc. blood pressure, checked, asked to read bottom line of an eye chart. Pee in a pot. Then see a Dr who asks the obvious questions,  what pills for what taken, any recent hospital visits, any problems with this and that, hip or knee replacement cholesterol level. Gives you a bit of a physical check up, looked at and felt my neck , had to hold my arms out palms down eyes shut. Checked my skin and then as mentioned I lay on my front and had a quick check over. 

Same for husband checked his back movement as has a bit of stiffness there.

A friend in his early 80’s had exactly the same medical as us, both were in Brisbane.

They are looking for either something contagious like TB or something that you already have that will cost.

I have a few complaints!!! Osteoporosis, have atrial fibrillation and had an ablation, not concerned.

Hope this allays some concerns, it really was a fairly basic medical. You hear in a couple of days if there is a query health wise , all clear hopefully for us both plus older friend. The results get sent straight to immigration and added to your file. Will Obviously post if there is any feed back from our CO.

[Britgirl29]

7 hours ago, ramot said:

Having just had the medical 10 days ago aged in our mid  70’s it really wasn’t too bad. You have a chest X-ray, blood taken to check for HIV etc. blood pressure, checked, asked to read bottom line of an eye chart. Pee in a pot. Then see a Dr who asks the obvious questions,  what pills for what taken, any recent hospital visits, any problems with this and that, hip or knee replacement cholesterol level. Gives you a bit of a physical check up, looked at and felt my neck , had to hold my arms out palms down eyes shut. Checked my skin and then as mentioned I lay on my front and had a quick check over. 

Same for husband checked his back movement as has a bit of stiffness there.

A friend in his early 80’s had exactly the same medical as us, both were in Brisbane.

They are looking for either something contagious like TB or something that you already have that will cost.

I have a few complaints!!! Osteoporosis, have atrial fibrillation and had an ablation, not concerned.

Hope this allays some concerns, it really was a fairly basic medical. You hear in a couple of days if there is a query health wise , all clear hopefully for us both plus older friend. The results get sent straight to immigration and added to your file. Will Obviously post if there is any feed back from our CO.

@ramot you mentioned that they asked about hip and knee replacement in the medical. Was their concern around whether it would need to be done in the future or whether it had been done in the past? My mum has recently had a double knee replacement but has recovered well and shouldn't need any further treatment

[ramot]

1 hour ago, Britgirl29 said:

@ramot you mentioned that they asked about hip and knee replacement in the medical. Was their concern around whether it would need to be done in the future or whether it had been done in the past? My mum has recently had a double knee replacement but has recovered well and shouldn't need any further treatment

I can’t answer that as haven’t had either, sorry. However will ask our friend when I see him as he has had a hip replacement, he is applying for partner visa in his 80’s, I think that’s great, he was on a 410 visa like us. I didn’t get the impression from him that it was a problem, but will check with him.

Reference the question asked about the amount charged on health insurance for temporary residents, we have to pay overseas visitors and for full top  covered pay $12,000 annually. It really covers just about all the costs. We have no gap to pay on this cover. Friends have had hip replacements fully covered for example, very expensive but we have no choice as we aren’t entitled to Medicare on our visa even though British.

[SPRINTER]

1 hour ago, ramot said:

 

Reference the question asked about the amount charged on health insurance for temporary residents, we have to pay overseas visitors and for full top  covered pay $12,000 annually. It really covers just about all the costs. We have no gap to pay on this cover. Friends have had hip replacements fully covered for example, very expensive but we have no choice as we aren’t entitled to Medicare on our visa even though British.

We are also paying just over 12k a year for top cover but have noticed recently the benefits are slowly being eroded and certain old age problems are not being fully covered, a bit annoying when we both have a full contribution record in the UK but no reciprocal arrangement here on our visa.

 

[ramot]

1 hour ago, SPRINTER said:

 

We’re with Medibank and only lost some natural therapies luckily

Edited March 25, 2019 by ramot

[Britgirl29]

On 25/03/2019 at 09:55, ramot said:

I can’t answer that as haven’t had either, sorry. However will ask our friend when I see him as he has had a hip replacement, he is applying for partner visa in his 80’s, I think that’s great, he was on a 410 visa like us. I didn’t get the impression from him that it was a problem, but will check with him.

Reference the question asked about the amount charged on health insurance for temporary residents, we have to pay overseas visitors and for full top  covered pay $12,000 annually. It really covers just about all the costs. We have no gap to pay on this cover. Friends have had hip replacements fully covered for example, very expensive but we have no choice as we aren’t entitled to Medicare on our visa even though British.

@ramot if you could that would be great, my parents are in good health generally so that's the main thing that concerned me

@MarisawrightI did some more research as I was worried my parents had the wrong health insurance and had claimed incorrectly. According to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman website, you can purchase Australian resident's private health insurance if you have an interim or full medicare card. My parents are currently on an interim one so thankfully they meet this criteria - I was worried there was a big bill coming back their way! https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/overseas/

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Britgirl29 said:

I did some more research as I was worried my parents had the wrong health insurance ...According to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman website, you can purchase Australian resident's private health insurance if you have an interim or full medicare card. My parents are currently on an interim one

But that's what surprises me.  If your parents were eligible to get an interim Medicare card, why doesn't everyone on a bridging visa get an interim Medicare card?  It would be interesting to know.

[Britgirl29]

18 hours ago, Marisawright said:

But that's what surprises me.  If your parents were eligible to get an interim Medicare card, why doesn't everyone on a bridging visa get an interim Medicare card?  It would be interesting to know.

I was also surprised when I checked with my parents and saw it was an interim card (although very relieved!) To get their medicare card they needed to show their passports and bridging visa letter to the Medicare centre. They went to the main one in Sydney which I would imagine would do it correctly but you never know with medicare! 

It would be interesting to hear if other UK residents on on shore parent visas have also got interim cards. I did find this article online which suggests that others have also had medicare cards with full rights 

https://www.gm-parent-visas.com/medicare-while-on-a-bridging-visa/

 

[ramot]

21 hours ago, Britgirl29 said:

@ramot if you could that would be great, my parents are in good health generally so that's the main thing that concerned me

 

All I can tell you is that he has his first part of his partner visa issued with no problem, so looks positive.

[Britgirl29]

@ramot Thanks! That's reassuring to hear

 

[mudcrab]

On 20/03/2019 at 07:05, Marisawright said:

On a bridging visa, your parents are legally non-residents and therefore Overseas Visitors health cover is all they are eligible for.

Sorry to gatecrash this thread, but does this criteria apply to ALL bridging visas?

I am getting totally confused.  I applied for a 820 partner visa last November 2018 and got a bridging visa which I am now on.  I went to Centrelink just after this and they said I could have a Medicare card (temporary blue one) which I now have.  And I now have a letter from the Government urging me to buy Private Health Insurance to avoid Lifetime Health Cover and to do this before November.  But on a Bridging visa how is this possible?  Has Government got it wrong?