457 and health insurance (visa prior to sept 2009)

[krissyazz]

Hi all,

Please help! Ive been working as a nurse for the past 11 months and was told by my employer that it was a condition of employment and the dica that i was to hold health insurance and that the medicare agreement was not enough. So i took out health insurance for my family costing nearly $200 a month. Last week i got another job in melbourne and was told by them that as the sponser, they were liable for the health insurance for myself and my family - i am to send them my details and they will take over payments!! When i asked them about this and explained that i had always paid it they emailed me a link from the immigration site .......

I currently employ a Subclass 457 visa holder whose visa was granted before 14 September 2009. Do I still need to provide for their health cover?

 

Yes, for Subclass 457 visa holders whose visas were granted prior to 14 September 2009, sponsors retain ultimate responsibility for the cost of treatment administered in a public hospital for the validity of the visa. Additionally, if you take on new workers that already have a subclass 457 visa that was granted prior to 14 September 2009, the responsibility for the cost of treatment administered in a public hospital for those workers and their dependants transfers to you.

Sponsors who fail to meet the relevant costs may be subject to administrative sanctions.

 

I just want to check with you guys before i march into HR !! I did call the DICA but my children started fighting and screaming whilst i was on the phone and the bloke put the phone down on me!!!!!

Cant wait to move will be so much more better off, $200 for a start anyway!!!!

Thanks for your help

kris :notworthy:

x

[RachelS]

Hi - we've been here since July 2008 & OH's employers have always paid for our Health insurance - our migration agent advised at the time that they'd be making it compulsory next year (2009) & so we had it actually written into his employment contract. I think it's down to the employers interpretation - OH's is pretty reputable & employs lots of overseas workers & took it that the responsibility was theirs to pay.

 

You should try speaking to HR & asking them their understanding of the statement - can't hurt & you may get something back.

[Mongrel]

Hi all,

Please help! Ive been working as a nurse for the past 11 months and was told by my employer that it was a condition of employment and the dica that i was to hold health insurance and that the medicare agreement was not enough. So i took out health insurance for my family costing nearly $200 a month. Last week i got another job in melbourne and was told by them that as the sponser, they were liable for the health insurance for myself and my family - i am to send them my details and they will take over payments!! When i asked them about this and explained that i had always paid it they emailed me a link from the immigration site .......

I currently employ a Subclass 457 visa holder whose visa was granted before 14 September 2009. Do I still need to provide for their health cover?

 

Yes, for Subclass 457 visa holders whose visas were granted prior to 14 September 2009, sponsors retain ultimate responsibility for the cost of treatment administered in a public hospital for the validity of the visa. Additionally, if you take on new workers that already have a subclass 457 visa that was granted prior to 14 September 2009, the responsibility for the cost of treatment administered in a public hospital for those workers and their dependants transfers to you.

Sponsors who fail to meet the relevant costs may be subject to administrative sanctions.

 

I just want to check with you guys before i march into HR !! I did call the DICA but my children started fighting and screaming whilst i was on the phone and the bloke put the phone down on me!!!!!

Cant wait to move will be so much more better off, $200 for a start anyway!!!!

Thanks for your help

kris :notworthy:

x

 

If the hospital stated you had to have health insurance as part of your contract then you had to , we phoned diac about this , you have to remmber this 457s are not just for poms but every nationality if the employers want them . A lot of other countries dont have a reciprocal health care agreement with oz the uk does so you get your medicare card and you are covered for necessary hospital treatment ie everything apart from elective care. ONly thing you need is ambo cover because they are expensive . If the hospital is takin over your cover fair enough but make sure they dont take it out of your salary, thats why sponsors like poms as the uk recp agreement covers public healthcare

[Mongrel]

Hi - we've been here since July 2008 & OH's employers have always paid for our Health insurance - our migration agent advised at the time that they'd be making it compulsory next year (2009) & so we had it actually written into his employment contract. I think it's down to the employers interpretation - OH's is pretty reputable & employs lots of overseas workers & took it that the responsibility was theirs to pay.

 

You should try speaking to HR & asking them their understanding of the statement - can't hurt & you may get something back.

 

You are from the uk covered by the medicare agreement , pre 2009 it is the sponsors responsibility but they write it into the contract you get your own ,as in the previous post ,ambo cover is a necessity public hospital insurance a waste of money

[RachelS]

...ambo cover is a necessity public hospital insurance a waste of money

 

True but it's not our money that's wasting! :biglaugh:

[Raul Senise]

Hi all,

Please help! Ive been working as a nurse for the past 11 months and was told by my employer that it was a condition of employment and the dica that i was to hold health insurance and that the medicare agreement was not enough. So i took out health insurance for my family costing nearly $200 a month. Last week i got another job in melbourne and was told by them that as the sponser, they were liable for the health insurance for myself and my family - i am to send them my details and they will take over payments!! When i asked them about this and explained that i had always paid it they emailed me a link from the immigration site .......

I currently employ a Subclass 457 visa holder whose visa was granted before 14 September 2009. Do I still need to provide for their health cover?

 

Yes, for Subclass 457 visa holders whose visas were granted prior to 14 September 2009, sponsors retain ultimate responsibility for the cost of treatment administered in a public hospital for the validity of the visa. Additionally, if you take on new workers that already have a subclass 457 visa that was granted prior to 14 September 2009, the responsibility for the cost of treatment administered in a public hospital for those workers and their dependants transfers to you.

Sponsors who fail to meet the relevant costs may be subject to administrative sanctions.

 

I just want to check with you guys before i march into HR !! I did call the DICA but my children started fighting and screaming whilst i was on the phone and the bloke put the phone down on me!!!!!

Cant wait to move will be so much more better off, $200 for a start anyway!!!!

Thanks for your help

kris :notworthy:

x

 

Hi Kris,

 

This is one of the complications caused by the changes introduced in September last year.

 

If you were granted a subclass 457 visa prior to 14 September 2009, your sponsor was liable for any costs incurred to the public health system. Many employers made it a condition of the contract that applicants held private health cover; however this was NOT a DIAC requirement.

 

Subclass 457 visa holders granted after 14 September 2009 must have health cover as the sponsor is not liable for medical costs. Reciprocal Medicare is considered acceptable.

 

Here’s where it gets confusing. Under the September 09 changes, 457 visa holder no longer need to lodge a new 457 visa application to change employers. The new sponsor only needs a sponsorship and nomination naming the applicant approved. Therefore if you change employer without lodging a new subclass 457 visa application and your visa was granted pre 14 September 2009, you still fall under the old system and your new sponsor is liable for costs incurred to the public health system.

 

The problem with this is that many employers are not aware of this anomaly.

[Mongrel]

Hi Kris,

 

This is one of the complications caused by the changes introduced in September last year.

 

If you were granted a subclass 457 visa prior to 14 September 2009, your sponsor was liable for any costs incurred to the public health system. Many employers made it a condition of the contract that applicants held private health cover; however this was NOT a DIAC requirement.

 

WE came in 2008 and this was written into the contract ,I personally rang diac and they stipulated that yes ,in your contract you had to buy it , this is a rule on the basis that not all nationalities are covered by the reciprocal agreement , the insurance companies are csshing in by offering bridging insurance at about 50 bucks to cover migrants on a457 covered by the recoprocal agreement from visa grant to applying for medicare

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subclass 457 visa holders granted after 14 September 2009 must have health cover as the sponsor is not liable for medical costs. Reciprocal Medicare is considered acceptable.

 

Here’s where it gets confusing. Under the September 09 changes, 457 visa holder no longer need to lodge a new 457 visa application to change employers. The new sponsor only needs a sponsorship and nomination naming the applicant approved. Therefore if you change employer without lodging a new subclass 457 visa application and your visa was granted pre 14 September 2009, you still fall under the old system and your new sponsor is liable for costs incurred to the public health system.

 

The problem with this is that many employers are not aware of this anomaly