Health
Australia’s universal health care system, Medicare, was introduced in 1984 to provide all Australians with affordable, accessible and high-quality health care. Medicare was established based on the understanding that all Australians should contribute to the cost of health care according to their ability to pay. It is financed through progressive income tax and an income-related Medicare levy.
Medicare ensures that all Australians have access to free or low-cost medical, optometry, dental and hospital care while being free to choose private health services and, in special circumstances, allied health services. Medicare provides access to free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital, and free or subsidised treatment by medical practitioners including general practitioners, specialists, participating optometrists and dentists.
People who reside in Australia are eligible if they hold Australian citizenship or have been issued with a permanent visa, hold New Zealand citizenship, or have applied for a permanent visa. If you are an Australian citizen returning to Australia after living overseas for more than five years, you will need to provide documentation supporting your Australian residency.
Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with eight countries – New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta and Ireland. Under the Agreements, residents of these countries have restricted access to Medicare services while visiting Australia. Reciprocal Health Care Agreements allow eligible visitors restricted access to health care services including the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) aims to provide timely,
reliable and affordable access to necessary and cost-effective prescription medicine to all Australian residents and eligible overseas visitors. The PBS Schedule lists all medications available to patients at a Government-subsidised price. The Schedule is part of the wider Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme administered by Medicare Australia. If you are eligible, and your prescribed medication is available on the PBS, you can present the prescription to an approved pharmacy and the medication will be dispensed under the PBS. If you cannot have the prescription filled under the PBS, it can be filled by a pharmacist as a private prescription. This may mean that the medicine is more expensive.
The Scheme is available to all Australian residents who hold a current Medicare card. Overseas visitors from countries with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) are also eligible to access the Scheme.
If you are travelling to Australia, either to visit or to stay, you should make arrangements for ongoing access to necessary medications. If you need to bring medications with you, check regulations regarding bringing medications into Australia.
If you need to obtain prescription medications while you are here, the prescription must be written by a doctor in Australia.
Residents of countries covered under the RHCA must show their passports when lodging a prescription to prove their eligibility or they can contact Medicare and get a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement Card to prove their eligibility. Some overseas visitors may not be eligible for this card.
In order to obtain PBS medications in Australia, you will need a prescription written by a doctor in Australia.
Only those eligible for the PBS will receive subsidised medication.
Prescriptions written in other countries cannot be filled in Australia.
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