Melbourne Healthcare & Medical Treatment

Australia has a hybrid public-private healthcare system that was recently ranked the second best healthcare system in the world for factors such as care process, access, administrative efficiency, and healthcare outcomes.

If you’ve just moved or are thinking of moving to Melbourne, it can take some time to get a grip on how the Australian healthcare system and healthcare in Melbourne works. Here you’ll find a guide to healthcare in Melbourne to make the transition easier.

Healthcare in Melbourne

Healthcare in Melbourne operates under the same universal healthcare system as the rest of Australia. One of the most prominent public healthcare providers in Melbourne is Melbourne Health, which delivers medical services through the Royal Melbourne Hospital – one of Australia’s leading hospitals – as well as NorthWestern Mental Health and the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory.

Melbourne has a wide range of well-regarded public and private hospitals as well as medical clinics and specialist services such as physiotherapists, dentists, cardiologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, podiatrists, and prosthodontists, among others.

Some of the largest hospitals in Melbourne include:

The Alfred

www.alfred.org.au

Address: 55 Commercial Road, Prahran

Austin Hospital

www.austin.org.au

Address: 145 Studley Road, Heidelburg

The Melbourne Clinic

www.themelbourneclinic.com.au

Address: 130 Church Street, Richmond

Melbourne Private Hospital

www.melbourneprivatehospital.com.au

Address: Royal Parade, Parkville

Melbourne Royal Hospital

www.thermh.org.au

Address: 300 Grattan Street, Parkville

The Royal Children's Hospital

www.rch.org.au/rch

Address: 50 Flemington Road, Parkville

St Vincent's Hospital

www.svhm.org.au

Address: 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy

Medicare

Australia’s public healthcare system is known as ‘Medicare’. Through this system, Australian citizens, permanent residents, and certain visa holders are entitled to subsidies on medical costs. If you’re living in Melbourne on a work visa, you may be eligible for Medicare if your home country is part of the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. Countries include:

·       Belgium

·       Finland

·       Italy

·       Malta

·       the Netherlands

·       New Zealand

·       Norway

·       the Republic of Ireland

·       Slovenia

·       Sweden

·       the United Kingdom

To join Medicare under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA), you’ll need to meet the specific criteria for your country. Find out more about eligibility for Medicare for visa holders and visitors.

Enrolment in Medicare entitles you to:

·       Free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital

·       Free or subsidised treatment by doctors in a general practice

·       Subsidies on some treatments by participating specialists, optometrists, and dentists

Find out more about what services are covered by Medicare.

Private health insurance

For work visa holders who are not entitled to Medicare, there is a wide range of private health insurance options available. Even if you do have a Medicare card, you can still choose to take out private health insurance for additional benefits. Certain visa holders must take out private health insurance to work in Melbourne, so make sure to check your specific requirements.

Health insurance premiums differ depending on the level of coverage you choose. You can select from varying levels of hospital and medical coverage, and add on extras such as optical care, dental care, physiotherapy, and chiropractic services if you wish. Costs and coverage vary among health funds, so it’s best to do some research to find a plan that suits your needs.

These are some of the major private health insurance companies offering insurance for overseas visitors and visa holders in Melbourne:

Bupa

nib

iSelect

Medibank

hif

If you are enrolled in Medicare and also have a private health insurance policy, you may also be able to claim a private health insurance rebate on your Australian tax return. Find out more about the private health insurance rebate.

Dental treatment in Melbourne

Dental treatment in Melbourne is usually not covered by Medicare, so you will need to pay for treatment yourself or claim back the cost from your private health insurance provider (if your plan covers dental treatment). Be aware that some private health funds have a waiting period, meaning you need to wait a certain amount of time after joining before making a claim.

Emergency services in Melbourne

The emergency number for ambulance, fire, and police services in Melbourne and throughout Australia is 000.

Ambulance services and emergency transport in Melbourne is not covered under Medicare, however, you can choose to take out insurance to cover you in the event that you need to call an ambulance. Ambulance fees differ depending on the length of the trip, but the average out-of-pocket cost without insurance is around $1100.

For non-emergency ambulance services call 1300 366 313.

VIC SES

Victoria’s State Emergency Service (SES) is a not-for-profit organisation assisting people in Melbourne and throughout Victoria during emergencies. The Victoria SES is most commonly used to assist with:

·       Flood and storm emergencies

·       Road rescue

·       Earthquake responses

·       Search and rescue

SES volunteers are trained as community first responders, which means they are also equipped to assist the police and ambulance services during an emergency.

For emergency help during a major event such as flooding, contact VIC SES on 132 500. You can also get current emergency information by calling the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.

Gyms & fitness in Melbourne

There is a large range of fitness options available for those living in Melbourne, including purpose-built including yoga centres, Pilates centres, aquatic centres, boxing gyms, indoor sports clubs, meditation centres, and many others.

Gyms are also widely popular throughout the Melbourne CBD and surrounding suburbs. Some of the largest gym groups include:

Virgin Active

Fitness First

Jetts

Fernwood Fitness (women only)

Some private health funds cover the cost of gym memberships, so you may be able to claim back your monthly fee.