How to Move to Australia - Getting Health Cover

     Welcome to my second addition to this series all on how I moved to Australia. This post will focus on healthcare options while traveling or moving to the country. Please note that all information provided is my experience only and it is always very important to do your own research.
     The first time I came to Australia I was on a temporary visa, meaning I did not have the intention on moving permanently. The best health care option for me was to buy insurance created for those traveling in Australia temporarily. There are plenty of insurance options within a reasonable budget, you can visit sites like compare the market to find the best deals for you. It's pretty straightforward from there, you will get a healthcare card and be covered for what was specified in your plan. Most of this is for emergency cover meaning ambulance, and hospital fee's.
     If you are planning to move to Australia or stay here for longer than a holiday period here is what I chose to do. I arrived on a working and holiday visa (temporary) and signed up for a BUPA plan. This covered me for ambulance, hospital, $350 worth of dental and a small optical plan as well. BUPA has tons of options so you can add on whatever suits you or your family. If you don't have healthcare to put in in perspective a typical doctors appointment will cost you out of pocket around $70 dollars. My average cost for prescription medication ranged around $14 dollars and my average dental hygienist appointment was $95. So if you choose not to be covered these are some costs you can expect to pay and that doesn't include emergency situations.
     Becoming a resident means that you will want to enroll in Medicare. Australia has a universal healthcare system that provides free or subsidized healthcare. Meaning that if you went to the doctor with your medicare you would pay $70 but receive $45 back. So your appointment now costs $35 instead of $70. To enroll in Medicare go onto https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Visa/Medicare and make sure you are eligible.
      I applied for Medicare by downloading and printing the enrollment form at home, I then filled out my information and went to the Centrelink/Medicare facility. (I will link the Medicare enrollment form below). Make sure to bring your passport and all identification with you to the office. I only needed my passport, Australian drivers license and my permanent residency form. When you enter into the facility make sure you tell them that you are a permanent resident enrolling in Medicare and it cannot be done online. They often usher you in without listening and then find out that the application cannot be done online resulting in a longer waiting period. Once you get called to the desk you will then hand over your completed form and all identification listed previously. They will check your passport to make sure the visa is linked and sign you up for Medicare. After that you will be issued a temporary Medicare card and a new one will be posted to you in the mail. The temporary card will work for any appointments so don't worry. The entire process is very smooth as long as you have all of your documentation and information filled out correctly. I hope this article helped you and good luck on your journey!

Medicare enrollment application - https://www.humanservices.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/3101-1306en.pdf