The Medicare system is divided into two parts.
The first component lets eligible people obtain free treatment in public hospitals.
The second component is linked to medical professionals like GPs, optometrists and specialists.
Hank Jongen is the spokesperson for the Department of Human Services that oversees Medicare. He tells us who is eligible.
"People who reside in Australia are eligible for Medicare benefits, especially if they are Australian or New Zealand citizens, if they are permanent resident and under some circumstances, if they've applied for permanent residency. There's also a category of people who are covered by reciprocal healthcare agreements that are also eligible. But it's important to make the point that those reciprocal healthcare arrangements only relate to only about 11 countries where we have agreements,"
You can check if you're eligible on the Department of Human Services website.
Once you know you're eligible, here's how to enrol.
"The simplest way to enrol is to go on the Department of Human Services website and you can download a Medicare enrolment application. You can also get it from any of our service centres as well. Once you've filled in the Medicare enrolment application, you do need to take it, with proof of your identification to one of our human services centre,"
Hank Jongen says that you might want to check before you visit a health professional if they bulk bill or not.
"The thing is that not all medical providers charge a scheduled fee, which is covered by Medicare, most will actually charge more. If doctors choose not to charge more, that's called bulk billing, and if a doctor bulk bill, that doesn't incur any additional cost for you,"
If the doctor doesn't bulk bill, you'll have to pay the difference.
Most of the time, if your bank account is linked to Medicare; your claim will be processed at the doctor's office.
But sometimes you'll have to make the claim yourself.
"If your doctor doesn't provide that service, then you can claim online through the human services website, or if you download the Medicare smartphone app, you can actually lodge a claim via your smartphone. And the beauty of using the app is that you can take a photograph of any receipts that you need to provide us with, and you can upload those through the smartphone app."
Some people, like those on working-holiday or student visas, are not covered by Medicare.
If you want to check your eligibility for Medicare, enrol or have any questions visit the Department of Human Services website or call the Medicare general inquiries line at 132 011.
