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Understand the Types of Health Insurance:
- Private Health Insurance: Covers services like hospital stays, medical treatments, dental, and optical services, depending on the policy.
- Medicare: Public health system that covers basic medical services. Most residents are eligible, but you may still want private insurance for additional coverage.
Decide on Your Needs:
- Hospital Cover: Covers the cost of being treated in a private hospital.
- Extras Cover: Covers services like dental, optical, physiotherapy, and more.
- Combined Cover: A mix of both hospital and extras cover.
- Also consider factors like whether you want to go to private hospitals, need regular dental work, or plan to have children soon.
Check if you are eligible for Reciprocal Health Cover
The Australian Government has also set up a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with certain countries, designed to give visitors from particular countries access to the Australian Medicare system.
Australia currently has RHCAs with the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Malta, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Belgium and Slovenia.
If you are visiting from one of these countries and want to claim the Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), simply register for a Medicare card and show your passport when lodging a prescription for PBS benefits.
Alternatively, you can obtain a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement Card (RHCAC) from Services Australia. Please note that if you are a visitor from the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand, you are not eligible for the RHCAC.
Choose a Provider and Plan
Compare policies using comparison websites like GetMyPolicy, which simplifies insurance decisions by offering an easy-to-use platform for comparing health cover options.
Choosing the Best Health Insurance for Visiting Family
If you live in Australia and have parents visiting frequently, selecting the right level of health cover can protect you from unexpected medical expenses. A policy tailored to your family’s needs offers peace of mind and financial security.
Conclusion
At Visa Home Lawyers, we go beyond visa assistance — we help you navigate health insurance options for your loved ones. We can help you compare a wide range of health insurance plans from leading Australian providers, evaluating premiums, deductibles, and coverage options to make an informed decision.