Perth Healthcare & Medical Treatment

In Australia, medical treatment is part of a hybrid public-private healthcare system. Recently, Australia was ranked as having the second-best healthcare system in the world based on factors such as care process, access, administrative efficiency, and healthcare outcomes.

If you’re moving to Perth, it can take some time to get your head wrapped around how the Australian healthcare system and healthcare in Perth works. Take a look at our guide to healthcare in Perth to get started.

Healthcare in Perth

Healthcare in Perth is part of the same universal healthcare system as the rest of Australia. Perth has a large number of private and public healthcare facilities including hospitals and medical centres as well as specialist services such as physiotherapists, dentists, cardiologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, paediatricians, neurologists, podiatrists, and prosthodontists, among others.

Some of the biggest hospitals in Perth include:

Medicare

The public healthcare system in Australia is known as ‘Medicare’. Through this system, Australian citizens, permanent residents, and certain visa holders have access to subsidised medical treatment and medical costs such as prescription medication. If you’re living in Perth on a work visa, you may be eligible to join Medicare if your home country is part of the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. These 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 must meet the specific criteria for your home country. Learn more about eligibility for Medicare for visa holders and visitors.

If you are eligible for Medicare, you will be entitled 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

Many work visa holders are not entitled to join Medicare. In this case, there are many private health insurance options available. Even if you have joined Medicare, you can still choose to take out private health insurance for additional coverage such as private hospital treatment and medical care not covered by Medicare. Certain visa holders must take out private health insurance to work in Perth, so make sure to check your specific visa requirements.

The insurance provider and plan you choose will affect the premium you need to pay, so it’s best to do some research to find a plan that suits your needs. You can choose varying levels of hospital and medical coverage, as well as optional extras such as optical care, dental care, physiotherapy, and chiropractic services.

Many major private health insurance companies offer specific insurance plans for overseas visitors and visa holders in Perth. Companies include:

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 Perth

Most dental treatments in Perth are not covered by Medicare or basic private insurance plans, so you will need to pay for treatment yourself or choose a plan that covers you for dental treatment. Keep in mind that some private health funds have a waiting period after joining before you can make a claim on treatment.

Emergency services in Perth

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

Ambulance services and emergency transport in Perth operates under a ‘user pays’ system, which means calling an ambulance comes at a cost to the patient. Fees typically range between $500 and $1000 depending on the urgency of the request. You can also choose to take out insurance to cover you in the event that you need to call an ambulance.

WA State Emergency Service (SES)

In the event of a natural disaster, State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers provide a wide range of volunteer services including:

  • Emergency repairs on buildings
  • Restoration of essential services
  • Ferrying cargo and passengers across flood waters
  • Search and rescue
  • Road crash assistance in remote areas

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

For help during a major event such as flooding, contact WA SES on 132 500.

Gyms & fitness in Perth

Fitness is widely popular in Perth, with a large number of purpose-built centres throughout the city, including yoga centres, Pilates centres, aquatic centres, boxing gyms, indoor sports clubs, and meditation centres, among others.

There are also many gyms scattered throughout the Perth CBD and surrounding suburbs. Some of the major gym groups in and around Perth include:

Snap Fitness

Jetts

Anytime Fitness

Fernwood Fitness (women only)

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