How to arrive and

Institutions That You Will Want To Deal With After Arriving

Moving to a new country to settle - irrespective of how many times you may have visited - can be daunting and very stressful. It’s a well known fact that moving home (never mind emigrating) is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. To prevent your emotions overwhelming you when you need a clear head the most, take the time to write down everything you need to do once you’re in Australia. Perhaps even do this well before you even get on the plane. This will ease your mind and give you a clear path to follow. There will be many distractions between when you read this advice and when the time comes to carry it all out.

There is a series of small but vital tasks which need to be done if your time in Australia is to be a success. These are:

• 
  getting a Tax File Number
  
• 
  opening a bank account
  
• 
  signing up for Medicare
  
• 
  register with Centrelink
  
• 
  apply for an Australian driver’s licence
  

These tasks are usually done in the order listed above once you are in Australia. These are your first and most important steps to integrating with Australian society and its institutions. If you are to have a long-term future in Australia then there is no getting away from having done all of the above – and the sooner the better.

Obtaining a Tax File Number

The very first thing you need to do is get a Tax File Number (or TFN) which is similar to a US social security number. Without a TFN, you will be taxed at the highest personal income tax rate including money earned from your job, any government funds or on savings account interest. You essentially need a Tax File Number when doing a number of things such as filing tax returns, starting a new job, changing jobs and applying for pension benefits.

In order to get a TFN, you need to fill out an application form. You can get an application form mailed to you by telephoning 13 2861 in Australia. You can also apply for a TFN online by going to www.ato.gov.au and clicking on the left-sided tab labelled “Individuals.” There you’ll find a step-by-step guide to applying for the TFN, including an application form.
This website is also the fount of all knowledge to do with tax in Australia. You may want to spend some time there to familiarise yourself with all Australian tax matters. Many of the other institutions that you’ll deal with will ask you for your TFN, so the sooner you get it, the better.

Medicare

Medicare is the national health service that was established in Australia in 1984. It is administered by the Health Insurance Commission (HIC). It is geared towards providing healthcare services for:

1. 
   Australian citizens
   
2. 
   Permanent residents of Australia
   
3. 
   Temporary residents from a list of countries which have a ‘Reciprocal Health Care Agreement’ with Australia.
   

Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Malta and Ireland. People from Malta and Italy are covered for six months only. People from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Ireland are covered for the duration of their stay in Australia. The Agreement with New Zealand and Ireland provides free care as a public patient in public hospitals with subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, but does not cover out-of-hospital medical treatment.

Some services which are not covered at all under the agreements are:

• 
  Ambulance cover
  
• 
  Dental care
  
• 
  Medical evacuation to your home country
  
• 
  Funerals
  
• 
  Treatment in private hospitals, or as a private patient in a public hospital
  
• 
  Treatment that is not immediately necessary
  
• 
  Elective treatment
  
• 
  Treatment that has been pre-arranged before arrival in Australia
  

If you ARE eligible to join Medicare then you gain immediate access to health care services and programs in Australia. These include free public hospital care, help with the cost of out-of-hospital care and subsidised medicines. Medicare does not provide for certain services such as dental and optical care, nor ambulance services.

Depending on what doctor you see you might have to pay for some of the cost of your treatment yourself. Some General Practitioners (GP’s) charge more than the Medicare schedule of fees, so you have to pay the difference. Some doctors will bulk bill Medicare directly and you don't have to pay anything, but others may charge you and you then have to claim your costs back from Medicare.
To determine whether you are eligible for Medicare or to enrol, simply call 13 2011 or go to a Medicare office. You should do so 7 to 10 days after your arrival in Australia and take your passport or other travel documents along. You can locate your nearest Medicare office online via: http://www.hic.gov.au/yourhealth/where_to_find_us/

Medicare is funded through your general income taxes and you will make direct contributions to the scheme through a Medicare levy of 2% which is based on your taxable income above a certain amount. If all the enrolment requirements are met and you are granted admission to this system, you will be given a Medicare number and your green and gold Medicare card will be posted to you about three weeks later.

You can learn more about the healthcare system in Australia at: http://www.health.gov.au
If you ARE NOT eligible for Medicare, you’ll need to carefully consider Private Health Insurance (PHI) options. Even if you are partially covered under Medicare, you might want to get private health insurance which covers areas such as dental work. All insurance plans are different, so it’s important to get as much information as you can to make an informed decision that meets your needs.
The Private Health Insurance Administration Council offers a wealth of information and advice on how to find the right health insurance for you. You can visit their website at: http://www.phiac.gov.au
Almost half of Australians choose to take out some form of private health insurance cover. To encourage even more people to take out private health insurance the Australian Government has introduced some financial incentives. A 30% rebate on private health insurance premiums is available and a 1% tax is levied on high income earners who don't take out private health insurance.
The amount of cover and the services paid for under private health insurance varies depending on the insurance company involved and the plan that you choose. The biggest decision is whether to opt for hospital cover or ancillary cover only. Ancillary insurance is sometimes called "essentials" or "extras" and covers treatments that Medicare does not, such as dental, optical, podiatry and physiotherapy.
The Australian government introduced a new initiative in the year 2000. Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) is designed to encourage people to take out private health insurance earlier in life and to maintain their cover. If you take out LHC earlier in life you are rewarded with lower premiums throughout your life; if you don't take out cover until later in your life you pay 20% higher premiums for each decade that you wait.
Remember that until you have permanent residency in Australia, you are liable for the full costs of any medical treatment you need while in Australia.
INSIDER INFO: The standard of healthcare service and facilities in Australia is very high.