Health care works a little differently here. Since the US doesn't have a reciprocal Medicare agreement with Australia, we pay out the wazoo for visitors cover health care. We recently went to the doctor for travel vaccinations and a checkup. So here's the deal - you don't file insurance at the office. You have to pay the bill in full. Then you go to a Medibank retail center at the mall, give them a form and the receipt, and on the spot, Medibank either redeposits the money in your account or gives you cash back. Talk about a backwards system.
On a positive note, prescription drugs are dirt cheap. I went to the chemist (re: pharmacy) earlier this week for some antibiotics (don't worry mom - mild sinus infection). I was informed that Medibank visitors cover doesn't pay for prescription drugs and that I would have to pay full price, which turned out to be an entire $8. Maybe now's a good time to stock up on Tamiflu...
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