Patients without a Medicare card

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pay for treatment?

You must pay for treatment if you:

• do not have a Medicare card, or
• are not covered by a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement

Patients without Medicare are ‘Medicare ineligible’.

I have a Medicare card but did not bring it today. Why do I have to acknowledge costs?

You must bring your Medicare card to every hospital visit. If we don’t have your Medicare number on file, we will send you an invoice.

If you can provide your Medicare number after treatment, we will cancel your invoice. We can also contact Medicare to search for your card number with your consent.

The following Medicare ineligible patients may not need to pay:

•  asylum seekers, immigration detainees or refugees
• victims of sexual assault
• victims of another crime with a police report
• patients being diagnosed or treated for tuberculosis, leprosy or human immunodeficiency virus
• organ or tissue donors
• newborns attending a healthy hearing programme or
• weight review appointment.

Ask our staff for more information.

I have insurance. Why do I need to pay?

Patients with insurance must pay all costs of treatment. We will send you a receipt for claiming. Not all insurance funds will pay the entire amount. We  recommend you contact your insurer at the earliest opportunity.

Information for overseas students

If you have a valid Overseas Student Health Cover insurance policy, and do not have a pre-existing condition, we can send the claim to your insurer on your behalf. If your insurer does not pay the full amount, we will send you an invoice for the balance which you must pay.

I was in a work accident. Do I need to pay?

If you are Medicare ineligible and do not have an approved workers’ compensation claim, you must pay for treatment. If your claim is later approved, we will refund money paid.

Do I pay if I was in a motor vehicle accident?

If you are Medicare ineligible, you do not need to pay at the time of treatment, but you must acknowledge costs. If it is later found that you caused the accident or do not qualify for motor accident funding, you must pay all costs.

What is a reciprocal healthcare agreement?

Australia has reciprocal healthcare agreements with eleven countries. The agreements provide visitors to Australia with subsidised medical treatment.

You may qualify for subsidised treatment if you live in one of these countries and are visiting Australia on an eligible temporary visa.

• United Kingdom
• New Zealand
• Belgium
• Sweden
• Slovenia
• The Netherlands
• Finland ^
• Republic of Ireland ^
• Norway ^
• Malta # ^
• Italy #

# Covered for six months after arrival in Australia.
^ Student visa holders not covered.

Visitors on a retiree visa (Subclass 405 or 410) are usually not covered under the agreements.

I am from a country with a reciprocal healthcare agreement. What do I need to do?

To show that you qualify for treatment under a reciprocal healthcare agreement, we need copies of both your:

• passport
• visa grant notice

We will ask for these documents at every presentation.

If you do not bring these, you must acknowledge the cost of treatment at Medicare ineligible rates. We will contact you after treatment to ask for copies.

If you cannot provide the copies, or if you do not qualify for treatment under the agreements, we will send you an invoice for all costs (see overleaf).

Exclusions apply. For full terms, visit the Medicare Australia website.

What treatment alternatives are available outside of this hospital?

• General Practitioners (GPs) are private doctors who provide a wide range of health services for situations that are not an emergency.
• Private hospitals provide most treatment which is available in public hospitals.
• Private allied health professionals are also available in the community.