My husband and I have just moved over from the UK with our 2 children. We are on a 482 4 year visa, a condition of which is to hold appropriate private cover. We have reciprocal medicare cards also. We have taken out private cover with medibank but because we are on a 482 visa we were told we could only have an overseas workers standard hospital and medical cover. The excess on this is $500. We also have an extras cover for dental etc. What I dont understand is no one can give me a straight answer on whether I will have to pay the MLS. My understanding is the medicare levy is covered as my employer removes this from my wages but the MLS is an unknown. On the gov website it states that to not have to pay for the number of days you hold appropriate hospital cover from an australian registered provider with an excess of $750 or less. I do earn over the maximum thershold and my husband is not working.
Other private medical providers I have spoken to have suggested I need to get out reciprocal cover to avoid having to pay the MLS at the end of the tax year as you are almost pre paying I guess but why would I need to do this if I have hospital cover for my family and I? Is it that you always have to pay the MLS if you are on a 482 visa regardless of the private hospital cover you have? If so that seems very unfair given I am paying full tax plus medicare levy plus private cover! Thankyou for your help
730 views
1 replies