Australian medicare

[gosmk2]

I dont know where to put this thread, I am thinking of living in Thailand in my retirement I want to know if I am sick and go back to Australia for treatment will I still be covered for medicare

[MeMock]

Medicare while Overseas | Exfin - The Australian Expatriate's Gateway

[kingwilly]

No, you won't.

[Marmite the Dog]

Australia wants Australians even less than the rest of the world.

[jamescollister]

OP forget any benefits at all, once deemed to be a non resident [6 month] you are on your own.
You can of course return and take up residency again, but unless it's an emergence, you will have to go on the waiting list and remain in OZ.
Stinks, I know, found out the hard way last year. Jim

[Marmite the Dog]

Go to the UK if you need treatment. Not a problem. Well, you might have to wait a while.

[Dillinger]

I suspect there's a few aussies in need of a little TLC today

[jamescollister]

Go to the UK if you need treatment. Not a problem. Well, you might have to wait a while.

As I and my kids are entitled to UK passports, think that's where I would be going if things went bad here.
So much for the lucky country. Jim

[gosmk2]

there seems to be a difference in what Jim says and what exfin has on its webpage

[jamescollister]

there seems to be a difference in what Jim says and what exfin has on its webpage

Take it you are referring to the 5 year thing.
After 6 months, deemed non resident, but can just say your back permanently, after 5 years you have to prove you are back permanently.

Went through it last year, cataracts. Went back, wife and kids, bit of a holiday and hopefully get the eyes done as well.

3 year wait and can't leave the country except for a holiday, no dole for 12 weeks, couldn't see to drive or at night, no chance of a job. Had to pay for the whole thing and no medicare rebate at all. Computer had me as non resident.

Stuffed if I was going to sit going blind for 3 years in OZ, had the ops and was on the first plane out. Jim

[MeMock]

It says "You will need to provide documents to support your residency in Australia" which is what I believe to be correct.

If you have a small business, a SMRF, a property your renting out and therefore paying tax every year etc it can be quite easily done.

If you sold up everything you owned and cut all ties with Australia then not so easy and rightfully so.

[jamescollister]

It says "You will need to provide documents to support your residency in Australia" which is what I believe to be correct.

If you have a small business, a SMRF, a property your renting out and therefore paying tax every year etc it can be quite easily done.

If you sold up everything you owned and cut all ties with Australia then not so easy and rightfully so.

Don't see the rightfully so part, people work all their lives, pay taxes, try for early retirement. Head for a place in the sun, then after 6 months all is wiped, no old age pension, no medicare etc.

An Australian, living in Thailand can go to the UK and get free medical, reciprocal agreement, as can a Brit living in Thailand goes to Australia, gets sick and is covered by Medicare.
How many countries treat there own citizens worst, what I have committed some crime by leaving. If I arrived on a NZ passport, never having paid one red cent in tax in OZ I get benefits. Yet I and many other that have worked, paid our way are treated like second class citizens.

Not even Thailand treats it own people that bad, wife PR in OZ, kids born there and never once, when living in OZ and coming to Thailand were they told that as non Thai residence they were not entitled to the free medical system. They are Thai, not non residential Thais.

Which other country cancels your old age pension because you had the effrontery to leave before 65 years old. Jim

[MeMock]

Yeah it is a hard one Jim and maybe I am being a little harsh but if you turn your back on your own country I am not so sure why they should be expected to look after you in your old age.

I am a bit younger then you and do not expect to see a red cent from Australia if I decided to uproot and move somewhere else. I would not do so if I did not have the money behind me to look after myself and my family.

[jamescollister]

Andrew, my complaint isn't in what they do now, but in what I and others where told over many years. Fine change the rules, but back dating laws goes against my idea of right and wrong.
You are younger than I, but how can you or anyone prepare for tomorrow, if they can just change the game.

Today it's compulsory super, guess what, the OZ old age pension started out the same as the UK system, you paid in to it. Now it's welfare and means tested. Nothing to stop them taking everyone's super in the future, back dated.

Sure many would have done things differently if they were told the truth, but we were lied to. Now many who had planned for an easy retirement, but now find they will have to work until they die or sell their homes, leaving nothing for their kids.

The whole thing is sad for people reaching older age, they are being dumped on the scrape heap. I was lucky, pulled the pin at 53, knew I couldn't make it to 65 in my job, started the escape in my mid 40s and made it out.

Know you are fairly well off, but the ordinary Aussie is not, they are doing it hard, most are looking at dog food and baked bean pensions. The Government sold their and their kids future, we should be following Norway, not as one member of the government said, we should look to Asia for our welfare system. Jim

[gosmk2]

Couldn,t agree with you more I retired when I was 64 went and stayed in Thailand married a Thai lady and bought a property.When I was nearly 65 I went back to Australia to claim my pension on the form they asked where I lived I stupidly put Thailand.Later I was sent a letter saying that as I was living out of the country I would have to stay in Australia for 2years to make my pension portable but during those 2 years they would pay me my pension as long as I was in the country I was classed as a returned resident although I had been a citizen for 26years.
How stupid is the goverment because while I was in Australia I can claim
everything on medicare and I get a healthcare card my prescriptions what used to cost me $100 per month now cost me$20 I get rent assistance as well it is costing them more to keep me here

[peaches]

How stupid is the goverment

Yep, but it looks good & gets votes from the jealous sheep,
who stay in Oz, the ones who haven't got the gumption to
move to greener pastures

[gosmk2]

Another thing the b.....ds do, my wife likes to work so they deduct 25% of her pre tax wage off my pension that means they deduct 25% of the tax money off my pension talk about double dipping

[peaches]

Another thing the b.....ds do,

Bastards, fixed that fou you.