Medicare Safety Net

Details at:

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/yourhe...rvices/suhc.htm
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/yourhe...reshold_300.htm

If you need to see doctors or have tests regularly you could end up with high medical costs—the Medicare Safety Net is designed to help you when you need it most. It means that once you reach a safety net threshold, visits to your doctor or having tests may end up costing you less.

All families and couples need to register. Even if all your family members are listed on your Medicare card you still need to register for the safety net.

Each family member needs to be identified so their medical costs can be counted toward your family’s safety net.

You only need to register your family once.
Registering is free.
Some examples of services where costs count towards the Medicare safety net are:

GP and specialists consultations
ultrasounds
pap smear
blood tests
CT scans
x-rays
The basic benefit is that once you reach the threshold, any further qualifying medical expenses are reduced by Medicare covering 80% of the extra payments you need to make.

eg: Once you have reached the threshold, and you see a doctor who may charge you $45, from which you receive $25.70 the normal Medicare rebate (for 2004), you will also get a further $15.44 rebate, being 80% of the gap payment that you would have made. ie: ($45.00-$25.70 = $19.30 then 80% of $19.30 = $15.44.

So, before the threshold that visit would have cost you $19.30 ($45.00-$25.70 = $19.30),

but after the threshold it will cost you $3.86 ($45.00-$25.70-$15.44 = $3.86)

(Medicare Rebate in 2005 is $30.85, up from the $25.50 in 2004)


Obviously if your Doctor bulk bills you, then this may not apply in your case, except for specialists consultations etc.


The 2006 General Threshold is $1,000 (2005 was $716.10) for all Medicare card holders.

The Concession and FTB(A) threshold for 2006 is $500 (2005 was $306.90) for Commonwealth concession card holders and Families eligible for FTB(A) (ie: People with children)