We need health insurance for our family to cover the requirements of our 457 visa. Are we best getting this in the UK or from an Australian company. Have googled it, but there seems to be so many that offer the cover with such varying prices.

Does anyone know of any good but competitively priced companies?

Thanks

 

Hi,
If your coming over on a 457 I think it's a requirement that your sponsering company has to pay for your health insurance. My company had to provide provate migrants health cover for both me and my partner.
Therefore before paying out for something yourself contact your company and see what they say...

 

Hey
Thanks for that Robyn0312
The unfortunate thing is, it is our own company that is sponsoring us - we are doing a very complicated self sponsorship! As far as I understand it, it doesn't have to be the company that pays for it as long as you have the private health cover.
If your company is paying for your cover - do you know who yours is with?
Thanks again
Claire

 

Yeah we have Ultimate Visitors Cover with HBA - it's the Aussie arm of Bupa. It covers most things. If you want certain dental, ambulance cover and medicare levy cover you have to take that out as an extra add-on. I have this for myself and partner and you can also add kids onto the same policy...

 

Just to say, You do not need Ambulance cover in QLD, there is a levy on the electricity bills that covers Ambulance call out fees. If you decide to go on Holiday in another state, always carry your QLD driving Licence or some proof of address in QLD and if you need an ambulance they will then bill QLD ambulance for the call out fee:biggrin:

 

Hi all
Thanks for the info - will get googleing!

 

Hi clare and Ryan,

just have a good look at the wording. A 457 visa used to have to be covered by the company, but Sept 2010 that changed and it is the responsibility of the visa applicant now... HOWEVER... you are a UK resident and so have reciprocal cover under Medicare (australian NHS) and this satisfies the requirements of the visa without need for any private health cover. Remember the 457 visa is a visa which covers all nationalities and the UK is one of only a handful covered as a reciprocal agreement so quite a fwew brits read the conditions and go ahead into expensive private cover when they dont need to. The requirement is to have 'adequate health insurance' and this includes medicare. You must go along to a medicare office (in shopping centres) when you get here, all members of the family attend. Take visas and passports. It talkes about 15 mins, you are issued with a medicare card and thats it. Go to a doctor, hand over the card and the bill is sent direct to medicare. You do not get the same cover for dental though and prescriptions cost more ($16 for childs antibiotics for ear infection)
Hope this is helpful

Lynne x

 

We used HBA too. I was sponsored and was informed that we had to sort out our own healthcare. Ours wasnt paid for, This was back in `05 though and things have changed I think x