Australian Immigration Daily News

In Australia, Medicare covers most Australian residents for their health care. However, Medicare does not cover everything which is why over 50% of Australians rely on private health care.Without health insurance you may not be able to afford expensive medical services when you need them, which may cause additional stress and worry about covering the cost of your treatment when you are sick.

Most private hospital cover allows you to be treated as a private patient in a public or private hospital. This means that you may be able to choose the doctor and hospital you are treated in. Depending on the availability of your doctor, this could be at a time that suits you rather than staying on waiting lists for long periods to be treated in the public system. Certain levels of extras cover can also provide cover for services not covered by Medicare such as general dental, optical, physiotherapy and chiropractic services. Many people rely on private health insurance to access services they may otherwise be unable to afford.

With private hospital cover there is also the possibility to save on tax (Medicare Levy Surcharge). The Medicare Levy goes towards funding Australia’s public health system. The Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is an additional levy on top of the Medicare Levy that is payable by Australian taxpayers who do not have an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover and earn above an income threshold. For more information on how MLS works and how it may impact you, visit ato.gov.au or speak to your tax adviser.