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Australia has Reciprocal Health
Care Agreements with eight countries - New Zealand, the United
Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta and
Ireland. Under these Agreements, residents of these countries
have restricted access to Medicare while visiting Australia.
These Agreements give visitors from these countries access to
Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for the
treatment of an illness or injury which occurs during their
stay, and which requires treatment before returning home (that
is, these Agreements cover immediately necessary medical
treatment). The Agreements do not allow for visitors to access
Medicare or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme where the
treatment is not immediately necessary. Prearranged and elective
treatment is not covered.
In Australia, there are both public and private hospitals. The
Agreements provide for free accommodation and treatment as a
public patient in a public hospital, but do not cover treatment
as a private patient in any kind of hospital. People who choose
to be treated as a private patient, either in a private or
public hospital, will be responsible for all of their health
costs.
Medicinal products brought into Australia are subject to strict
controls and should be declared on arrival by using the red
channel exits from baggage halls. An import permit may be
required for products containing prohibited substances such as
narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates, tranquillizers,
hallucinogens, growth hormones, anabolic and androgenic steroids
and erythropoietin (EPO). |
