Sep
they have medical insurance what’s the cost of one prescription. Here each prescription costs £7.10p
Answer:
The cost of prescription medication depends on what the drug is and whether or not it is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme or National Health Scheme. For example, Ventolin is on the PBS (www.pbs.gov.au) and costs around AU$22 with a prescription. However, prescription medications that are not listed on the PBS can be exorbitantly costly.
We also have NHS (National Health Scheme) drugs, which are usually around AU$5 for a prescription.
There’s also a “Safety Net” scheme in Australia. If you’re someone that suffers from a chronic illness, after you’ve reached the threshold in one year (dependant on whether single or family), a card is issued and all subsequent prescriptions (for the remainder of the year) are either free or at a greatly reduced amount.
HOWEVER - this is for Australians/permanent residents with Australian prescriptions. You won't be able to fill a British prescription in Australia. And I would also recommend you verify whether your British medical insurance covers overseas medical expenses; because you might not be able to claim back drugs bought in Australia.
Furthermore, if your *friend* is about to emigrate permanently to Australia, (I believe) they won't be able to apply for Medicare (our universal health cover) until they've lived/worked here for two years. Check out www.medicareaustralia.gov.au for more Information on that though.
Hope that helps
Answer:
If they're moving to Australia on a permanent visa (and are therefore a permanent resident), they will qualify immediately for Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Under the PBS, most prescriptions qualify and a maximum of $31.30 (indexed annually) is payable for each month's supply. Some medicines cost less than $31.30. A PBS Safety Net operates each calendar year and covers the entire family i.e. parents and eligible dependent children. Once the safety net limit is reached in that year (2008 - $1141.80 ), each prescription costs only $5.00. My husband had some medication recently, the full cost of which was over $7000 and it cost us $5.
Private health insurance to cover the $31.30 (or $5) is not available from any insurer. They’re not allowed to offer such cover.
Pensioners and concession card holders pay $5.00 for all PBS prescriptions up to their much lower safety net and $0 after it is reached.
If the person won’t be a PR and doesn't qualify for Medicare and the PBS, it will be up to your insurer as to what they’ll pay.
Our private health insurance covers the cost above $31.30 for each non-PBS prescription. You would need to check with your health insurer to see what their arrangement is for Australian prescriptions as it's bound to be different for an overseas insurer.
Answer:
To find the cost of medications in Australia, take a look at the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme web site given below. If a medication isn’t listed on the site, then the cost is likely to be high (though there might be a subisdised substitute, if you can figure out the name of it). The cost for pensioners is typically around $5, but the rest of us pay more than that.
If you have private medical insurance, that might also subsidise the cost of your medication, but you should check the exact details with your insurer.
Answer:
Most drugs are covered by the PBS (pharmaceutical benefits scheme). That means the maximum you pay is around $30 per month's supply even if it is a drug that cost $1000's per month. Pensioners/unemployed etc. pay a maximum of $5 per script. If you reach a threshold of about $1000 out of pocket for your drugs, you then get charged $5 per script even if you don't qualify for a health care card.
What will apply to you will depend on whether you’re migrating here or just visiting. If you get a Medicare card the maximum you will pay will be $30 which would be about 13 pounds. Lots of drugs are actually cheaper than this.
Answer:
Try the Australian embassy web site or the Australian immigration website listed below