Anyone know how much public hospitals charge for hospitalisation of those without Medicare?

dajop

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OK, I'm facing some decisions at the moment. My siblings have requested my support to come back and work from Australia whilst COVID threat is escalating. They all have kids and I don't, and I can provide a greater degree of social and emotional support to my mother, who is most likely an at risk person for the virus and thus really should self-isolate. As a non-resident Australian it is totally unclear whether I am afforded public health coverage when in Australia (some websites, eg Victoria Health say Australians citizens + residents, where as Medicare indicates you must live in Australia) Usually that's OK because I have both credit card and annual medical travel insurance. However this is problematic as

1) My credit card travel insurance won't cover medical when "Travelling to a country where the Singapore government has issued a travel advisory against non-essential travel" . They have just done this to all countries.

2) My annual medical travel insurance won't cover it due to exclusions .. "Company shall not be liable to pay compensation for expenses which concern: ... 15) epidemics which have been placed under the direction of the public authorities"

My local medical insurance does cover treatment outside Singapore, but it is quite limited.

As a result, I am interested in understanding treatment costs (it's been a while!), so I can work it my coverage and the risk I face. Any of our medical community have any idea?
 
Last time I was in an A&E I saw the price list for non-residents. While I cannot remember the exact figures it was at least a couple of thousand dollars before they would even see a patient with a non-life threatening condition.

For follow up treatment the price was in the hundreds, paid in advance.
 
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This link suggests you can up to 5 years from departure.
I havn't looked at the fine print.
 
Edit
Sorry I have just realised that the article is about the statement disapearing from the medicare website.
 
Yes, thanks. Am past five years anyway. Sort of sucks, as although I don't pay medicare levy, I still pay the federal government more tax than probably at least 1/3 of Australian residents (for rental income and bank with-holding tax). So I don't get cover, but an unemployed Brit does!! C'est la vie ...

What is confusing is vic health website that states
Medicare provides free or subsidised health cover for all Australian citizens and most permanent residents.
, which is not true.

Anyway, looks like it will be OK, as I just remembered as my partner has Solitaire PPS status with SQ and I am a supplementary card holder, and one of the benefits is travel medical coverage as well, and doesn't seem to exclude pandemics/epidemics. Sigh of relief, it was getting a little stressful.
 
Last time I was in an A&E I saw the price list for non-residents. While I cannot remember the exact figures it was at least a couple of thousand dollars before they would even see a patient with a non-life threatening condition.

For follow up treatment the price was in the hundreds, paid in advance.

Thanks! Anything in the thousands order of magnitude is relatively low risk for me. We have sufficient buffers to cope with sums in the thousands and tens of thousands. But US style medical costs, whoa, no way ....
 
If you search 'Medicare ineligible patient fees and charges' or similar for the local health service, you should be able to see a list of the charges - ED, on the ward overnight, ICU, theatre etc
 

There is a link to a PDF with the charges at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
 

Attachments

  • Are you an overseas visitor and ineligible for Medicare - March 2018.pdf
    414 KB · Views: 37
Is there an obligation on a public hospital to make treatment available at all to a non Medicare patient?
 
Is there an obligation on a public hospital to make treatment available at all to a non Medicare patient?
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Where I work numerous overseas visitors have been hospitalised and had surgery. Treatments no different. I think it’s confirmed whether they have travel insurance and covered for the treatment, if they’re not they confirm they will pay for treatment costs.

It never ceases to amaze me how many haven’t had insurance..
 
Is there an obligation on a public hospital to make treatment available at all to a non Medicare patient?

Public hospitals will treat anyone regardless of insurance status - whether medicare, private or travel insurance. They may be told of the estimated cost upfront but often in an emergency these people come without money, Cc, etc. So treat first.
It is common knowledge that lots of visitors to Australia come without travel insurance, know they can get emergency treatment then abscond without paying the bill.
Most of the non payers give a false address. Once they leave you will never find them again. The tab is picked up by the hospital.

So the current situation does not change the general inability of the hospitals to chase accounts from fake addresses and fake phone numbers.

Solution: all incoming visitors must prove travel insurance or else they have to pay a premium at customs in order to enter the country. The price should be sufficiently expensive so that insurance is purchased before departure from home country.
 
An update on this, at least for State of Victoria that for COVID related treatment, all fees will be waived for assessment/treatment where no insurance coverage:

My problem now is going back to Singapore, as I left the country against advice, and will be charged in full for treatment related to COVID within first 14 days of returning (although private insurance - at the moment - should cover this).
 

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