Am I entitled to use the Australian medical care “Medicare”?

The Australian Government provides help with medical expenses and hospital care through Medicare. Medicare contributes towards the cost of most medical services and some services provided by optometrists. It also provides free accommodation and treatment in public hospitals if you are a Medicare patient. You can use Medicare only if you are a permanent visa holder or an Australian citizen.

As a temporary visa holder you are not allowed to use Medicare; you must take out a private health insurance. Many Australians belong to private health insurance funds to be covered for treatment as a private patient in private and public hospitals. They can include some services that Medicare does not cover, such as dental and optical services. More information will be found on the internet www.hic.gov.au and www.health.gov.au