If you do not have a Medicare card or are an overseas visitor from a country Australia does NOT have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with, you will be treated as a Medicare Ineligible Patient and will need to pay for hospital services.
Regional patients without a Medicare card
Wonthaggi Hospital and Phillip Island Community Hospital, a part of Bayside Health, are public health care facilities. All patients who want to use our services must have a Medicare card to be eligible for free medical care.
If you are a visitor to Australia and you do not hold a valid Medicare card (called Medicare Ineligible Patients), or do not fall under one of the classifications below:
- Patients from countries with reciprocal rights (dependant on visa type/status)
- Asylum seekers and refugees
You are not eligible for free treatment under Medicare, either as a planned (elective) or emergency patient and will be responsible for the payment of all expenses associated with treatment, including medical, diagnostic, hospital stay, prosthetic, pharmaceutical and ambulance fees whilst at Alfred Health.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate and appropriate health or travel insurance cover or adequate money to cover the cost of your healthcare, including but not limited to:
- Accommodation
- Doctor's fees
- Prostheses
- Pharmacy
- Diagnostics including radiology and pathology
- Outpatient attendances
- Other related services
- Information that you will need to provide
If you need to access services at Bayside Health, you will be asked to provide the following on presentation to the hospital:
Information that you will need to provide
- Guarantee of payment from insurer or upfront payment
- Your passport and visa status details (documentation and date of entry validation)
- Overseas residential address and contact details
- Contact information during your stay in Australia
- Mobile phone number and email address
- Relevant health insurance policy details
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Patient Liaison Officer;
Phone: (03) 5671 3108
When: Monday to Friday, 8:30am — 4:30pm, excluding public holidays.
Depending on your visa classification type, you must have adequate and appropriate health or travel insurance cover for the duration of your stay in Australia.
If visa holders do not meet their health insurance conditions, then Bayside Health Regional will initiate Debt Collection proceedings to recover all outstanding amounts related to your care and may result in advising relevant Commonwealth authorities of the breach of Visa terms and conditions.
Click open to see the full Primary health services patient and client fees schedule:
The patient/client fee schedule is designed to support the financial sustainability of the health service whilst creating fairness and consistency in the way in which both new and existing clients contribute to the cost of their care.
Revenue from patient/client contributions is used to support ongoing service delivery and where appropriate, expand Bayside Health services. Fees outlined in this policy may be subject to change.
Reciprocal rights
The Australia Government has Reciprocal Healthcare Agreements with the governments of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy.
These agreements may entitle you to limited subsidised health services for essential medical treatments whilst visiting Australia.
If you are an asylum seeker or refugee?
Asylum seekers and refugees are provided with free medical care (including emergency and elective care) pathology, diagnostic and pharmaceutical services in Victorian hospitals. Asylum seekers and refugees will need to produce supporting documentation confirming their status as an asylum seeker.
If documentation is not provided, there will be an expectation to pay for all associated medical costs. Associated fees can be waived when documents are presented to the Patient Liaison Officer.
What is not covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement or not an Asylum Seeker/Refugee?
All overseas visitors that are not covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (one of the countries not listed above) or are not an asylum seeker/refugee will be treated as a Medicare Ineligible Patient and as such will be required to pay costs incurred for all medical treatment whilst at the hospital.
Bayside Health Regional upfront payment of these fees prior to your attendance at outpatient clinics or the Emergency Department or admission to hospital regardless of whether you have travel insurance or private health insurance.
Table of fees and charges* ($AUD)
Outpatient Clinic - per visit - $330 per service event
Midwifery Homecare - per visit - $100
Childbirth education classes - per class $70
Emergency Department (ED) and Urgent Care Centre (UCC)
ED & UCC attendance (Overseas Visitors/ Medicare Ineligible - include aids/ consumables) - $550
When the ED/UCC provide aids and equipment on discharge, charges apply:
- Crutches - $35
- Zimmer Splints - $55
- CAM Boots - $50
- Slings - $35
- Darco Shoes - $30
Womens Health - Uninsured Patients
Bed rate - 1st day/night includes management of birth - $3,200 First night. $1,200 per subsequent nights.
$3,200 representing the first day/night accommodation & management of birth must be paid prior to the birth of your baby.
Should your admission exceed 1 night, an invoice for $1,200 per additional night/s will be sent to you following discharge from hospital.
Womens Health - Insured
Full cost recovery applies – It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate health insurance prior to your admission to Bayside Health Wonthaggi.
We suggest you check your level of cover for pregnancy with your private health insurer.
$3,200 representing the first day/night accommodation and management of birth must be paid prior to the birth of your baby unless you can provide Bayside Health with a written guarantee of payment from your private health insurer.
Medical/Surgical Admissions
Medical - Bed Rate, per day/night - $1,200
Surgical - Bed Rate, per day/night - $1,500
Additional fees will apply for services provided by the treating doctors/surgeons at Bayside Health Regional.
An invoice for medical &/or surgical procedures will be sent to you following discharge from hospital from the providers of these services.
Ambulance transportation - 100% of the fee charged by the ambulance service to be passed on to the patient.
Interpreter services - $60 per hour or part there of.
*The fees above do not include additional costs for surgically implanted prosthesis, anaesthetist fees, diagnostic services (pathology, radiology, ultrasounds fees) and/or pharmaceuticals. The patient is responsible for these additional costs.