One of the things I appreciate about living in Sydney - or in Australia for that matter, is its established and very beneficial health care system. For a person like me who already has health issues, having a medicare card is like ice cream with a sweet cherry on top.
It's only now that I'm starting to discover how medicare can really help me. When I first migrated to Sydney I was granted a medicare card immediately and since I was ok - health-wise that is - I never got the chance to use it much and my knowledge of medicare was limited to never having to cash out for doctor consultations as well as public hospital admissions.
This time around it's different. With several health issues already on my plate, since my arrival in June I've been to see my GP close to seven times, seen a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, a podiatrist and a dietician. I've had a couple of blood tests done and I'm booked in for an ultrasound next week. Guess what? No cash outs! Oh I had to cash out when I saw the podiatrist and endocrinologist but I got close to 95% back through medicare. Just to give you an example: a consultation with my GP without medicare costs $40, with medicare - nothing. My insulin (thank goodness I'm already off it) without medicare would cost me $400 (for 5 boxes with 5 pens in each), with medicare - $35. Healthcare is really expensive here, I guess it's expensive everywhere but if a country has an established healthcare system that really and I mean REALLY benefits the taxpayers I say well and good!
The next on my list is taking out private health care insurance to cover my dental consultation and procedures and of course to take advantage of the other benefits a private health care insurance covers (like a private room in a public hospital - it's like a freakin' hotel man!).
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