Private and Public Healthcare

Medicare, Australia’s health care system, is funded through income tax and an income related levy.

Generally anyone earning over A$50,000 will have some form of private health insurance.

Medicare pays for free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital, and included doctors, specialists and some optometrists or dentists.

Medicare pays 85% of doctor fee and patient pays the difference.

However, each calender year, the amount between what Medicare pays and you pay is recorded. Once you have paid a total of $306.90 out of pocket, you are in the safety net zone which means Medicare picks up 100% of your doctor bills/ out-of-hospital services in that year.

Most medicines available on prescription are subsidised with a maximum end cost for the consumer of A$29.50.

Medicare does not cover: