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EXCELLENT
HEALTH SERVICES
Western
Australia'
s
world class healthcare is available and affordable.
There
are specialist hospitals and health services for babies, children, maternity,
aged, disabled, and other groups.
Ambulance
services and
Australia'
s
famous Flying Doctor service ensure prompt attention.
QUALITY
HEALTH CARE
In
Western Australia
high quality health and medical services are available to residents through:
-
Medicare, the Government healthcare system.
-
over 50 private and public hospitals.
-
the option of additional private health cover.
There
is more information, in English, at the website of the
Western Australian
Department of Health, which provides health services
throughout the State, and on their
Online Service Directory.
A
Medicare patient in a public hospital does not generally pay any costs for
treatment or hospital stay.
MEDICARE
Medicare
ensures that all Australians
have access to quality medical and hospital care, and subsidises most medicines
prescribed by doctors.
It
is financed through personal income tax which includes a Medicare levy.
For
detailed information download the
New Arrivals Information Kit.
Visitors who are living in
Australia
and have or are applying for permanent residency can enrol with Medicare to
access cover while in
Australia
.
PRIVATE
HEALTH INSURANCE
There
are many expenses not covered by Medicare.
Generally
there are waiting lists for elective surgery in public hospitals.
In private hospitals waiting times are far shorter.
For
these reasons many people use private health insurance to subsidise medical and
health costs, and gain free or low cost access to private hospitals.
Private
health cover starts from around $2,700
AUD per family per year, and additional cover is available to
include many 'extras'.
You
will still pay the Medicare levy and access Medicare benefits.
As
a resident you may have to pay an additional Medicare surcharge if you earn
above a specified amount and you do not have private health insurance - see the
Medicare Surcharge web page, which is in
English.
You
can carry out online policy comparisons, in English, at the
Health Select
website.
Western Australia
's
largest private health insurers are:
Hospital
Benefit Fund of WA
Hospital
Insurance Fund of WA
AMBULANCE
COVER
Ambulance
travel is not covered by Medicare.
For
around $75.00 AUD per year you can arrange cover for ambulance and Flying
Doctors services in any emergency.
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