How much does a doctor's visit cost in Australia if you have preexisting condition?

Question

My wife has been offered a job in Australi. However, she has lupis and her bloodwork would not be covered by private insurance. Does anyone have any idea what a doctor's visit costs if insurance covers 0% of her visit. She really wants to move to Canberra, but until this question is answered we cannot determine if it is within our budget. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

It depends if you are getting any help from centerlink or on a sickness pension etc...

It costs any working person $55 for a normal doctors visit and Medicare gives back $33 of it. If you are on a pension etc it is free and bulk billed.

for more info go to http://www.medicare.gov.au

Answer 2

Hi there,

It depends a little bit on what your situation is - if she is accepted as a permanant resident of Australia, she will have access to the Medicare system and will not need private health insurance anyway. If she is coming only for a temporary working visa and is not planning to migrate here, then the insurance question comes into play.

My doctor currently charges $40 for a general consultation. Bloodwork depends on what is being tested, of course, so I couldn't answer that one specifically. With medicare you can get about $33 back from your doctor's visit, but you do pay out of pocket for it before you get it back. Some doctors charge differently, so it's worth looking around a bit. If you have medicare, some doctors bulk bill, so in that case you would pay nothing up front (if, of course, she is moving permanantly and has access to medicare).

If you do need private health cover, it's worth looking around for what is the best deal for you - check this site for comparisons: http://www.iselect.com.au/

Answer 3

For a General Practitioner visit the cost is approx $55, at the present time.

You may like to contact one of the State Lupus Associations in Australia. They would best be able to answer your questions. Good luck.
I've put the web address of the New South Wales Association below.

http://www.lupusnsw.org.au/


The Lupus Association of NSW Inc.
P.O. Box 89
North Ryde NSW 1670
Australia

Our street address is:

The Lupus Association of NSW Inc
55 Wicks Road
North Ryde NSW 2113
Australia

Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]

Freecall (NSW Country & Interstate)
1800 802 088

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
www.lupusnsw.org.au

Answer 4

Doctors can charge whatever they like. There is a standard fee and the Medicare rebate is based on that. The rebate is about $32. My doctor charges $42 for a visit but there are many who will charge twice that. If she is covered by Medicare, all her blood tests will be bulk billed and won't cost her anything.

Answer 5

My mother in law was visiting from over sea's earlier this year and she got sick without having any travel insurance. And not being an Australian citizen she was not covered by Medicare. I rang around several doctors surgery's and got given several different prices from between $50 Aus. and $85 Aus. Plus the price of her prescriptions were about $30. We live in Brisbane.