Welcome to Australia Blog

What’s hot at Queensland Health?

The latest in telehealth can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfI3iPk6t2o

Swine Flu Reaches 1000.

Australia has had a big week with Swine Flu. More than 1000 cases have been confirmed with the highest numbers being in Victoria.

Swine Flu – is it out of control?

Not yet but it’s arrived in Brisbane! Australia wide there are 61 cases of Swine Flu confirmed and in the next few days more are expected.

We’ve been on stand-by with masks and daily news up-dates. Now Swine flu alerts have been sent home from schools, as cases are confirmed.

A P&O cruise ship has been quarantined off Willis Island, east of Cairns. The staff were isolated and tested.

Are locals anoyed? Yes – you bet! The ship knew that there were sick passengers on a docking cruise and still re-loaded with new passengers AND the same staff.

Difficulties in Healthcare Continue.

What is the Rudd Government doing about this?

Well, it is investing in GP training centres…..

Job Focus: Nursing Down-Under

If you’re a nurse dreaming of moving to Australia, here is the criteria in brief:

1. Your Qualifications – You will need to be assessed by either the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council http://www.anmc.org.au/
(ANMC) or the nurse regulatory body in the State or Territory in which you wish to work.

2. You will need to pass a health check-up, including a chest x-ray.

3. If you’re not English native speaker, you will need to pass an English test that is specific to your profession.

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:

• Dentistry
• Glasses or contact lenses
• Physiotherapy
• Chiropractic treatment.

There are many private health funds in Australia. MBF, HCF and Medibank Private are the most popular.

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/

Healthcare starts with Medicare

Typically, upon arrival in Australia, new migrants are registered for a medicare card, as far as I can remember this happens automatically.

A medicare card is an important part of your Australian ID and it gives you access to public healthcare.

Once you are semi-settled with a roof over your heads, you then need to go to a medicare office and claim your card/give an address for your card to be sent to.

The Medicare office is where you go to get healthcare rebates (money back) and is not linked to Centerlink which is the social security office.

Hospital visits and emergency care is free at public hospitals. Private health care is a parallel system. A visit to the doctor or specialist can cost from 50$ upwards with a % given back as a rebate.

Immunizations

There is quite a list of immunizations/vacinations recommended for children, here in Australia.

Immunizations are however recommended but are not compulsory.

Day care centers and schools will ask for your child’s ‘record’ to see that you are up to date.

Often older children arriving from overseas are recimmended to have extra vaccinations and can do so in the same way as younger children: at the doctors or at free immunization clinics.