Medicare ineligible patients

You are a ‘Medicare ineligible patient’ if you are an international student, overseas visitor or temporary visitor or visa holder.

You cannot receive Medicare benefits if you:

• do not hold a valid Medicare card
• are not an asylum seeker or refugee
• are not a visitor from a country who has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia.

When you come to hospital you will need to provide us with:

• your passport and information about your visa
• up-front payment for services
• any health insurance policy details you have
• your overseas residential address and phone numbers
• information on where you are staying and sponsor details during your stay in Australia.

Where to find more information to help you

• Speak with our Revenue Management Officers
• Contact the Department of Home Affairs Immigration and Citizenship
• Download the Medicare Ineligible Brochure
• Download the Medicare Ineligible Obstetric and Gynaecological Brochure if you are pregnant.

Frequently asked questions

Will I have to pay for my health care whilst in Tasmania?

• Yes. You must ensure that you have health insurance cover or enough money to cover the full cost of all hospital services.
• These costs include: outpatient, inpatient, emergency or allied health (for example physiotherapy) costs
• theatre (the room where you have surgery), medical imaging (for example, x-rays or MRIs), anaesthetic fees (this is what helps you not feel any pain during an operation or procedure), prosthetics, pathology (for example blood tests) and pharmacy costs (for example prescription medicine)
• We will send you an invoice for all costs associated with your care and treatment provided.  

How much do I pay if I have health insurance?

• You need to pay some money before your treatment. This is called a deposit. It will go towards any costs not covered by your insurance.
• You must pay for any shortfall between the amount charged and the amount paid by your health fund.
• Any remaining balance will be refunded to you once payment has been received from the health fund.
• All outpatient, inpatient and allied health appointments must be paid in full. You can then take the receipts back to your health insurance fund and make a claim. The amount you get back will depend on your health insurance policy.

How much do I pay if I do not have health insurance?

• If you are not eligible for Medicare, you will be required to pay for all hospital services including emergency visits and outpatient appointments.
• You need to pay some money before your treatment. This is called a deposit.
• If you do not have health insurance, you must pay for the full cost of your health care and treatment.
• If you do have health insurance, you can take your receipt to your insurance fund to claim a refund.
• Costs may vary depending on the treatment provided. 

How do I pay for my treatment?

By Phone

Contact Patient Accounts to pay by credit card for all hospital services (see Contact Information below)

In Person

Payments can be accepted as cash, cheque, credit card or EFTPOS at:

How do I find out my level of cover?

Private health in Australia

• Learn more about private health insurance in Australia on the health.gov.au website.