Seeing a doctor in Australia: Medicare eligibility, enrolment, GPs, prescriptions and emergency numbers
To use health care in Australia, first check whether you can enrol in Medicare (citizens, permanent residents and people who have applied for permanent residence can; most temporary visa holders rely on OSHC or OVHC insurance). Then find a bulk-billing GP so visits cost nothing, and buy prescription medicines at the standard PBS co-payment. For urgent but not life-threatening problems, go to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic or call the free healthdirect line first. In an emergency, call 000. Each step links to a verified guide and the official source.
Can I get Medicare?
Enrolling in Medicare: who is eligible and how to apply
Citizens, permanent residents and people who have applied for permanent residence can enrol. If your country has no reciprocal agreement, most temporary visa holders rely on insurance.
- Who can enrol: You must live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident, a person who has applied for permanent residency, or a temporary resident covered by a ministerial order. Citizens or permanent residents of Norfolk Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island or Lord Howe Island can also enrol↗
- Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) countries: There are 11: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Check whether your country is on this list; China, for example, is not↗
- People who have applied for PR: You live in Australia and have applied for a permanent residency visa (other than a parent visa) or a permanent protection visa, and one of these applies: your visa lets you work; or your parent, spouse or child is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen living in Australia. Partner visas 309/100 and 820/801 count↗
- Insurance for temporary visas: Student visas require you to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Work visas such as the 482 and 485 require you to hold Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) that meets the visa conditions↗
How do I enrol in Medicare?
Enrolling in Medicare: who is eligible and how to apply
If you are eligible, enrol online through myGov or post the form; the whole family can enrol together, and you can use a digital card before the plastic one arrives.
- Enrolling online and as a family: To enrol online you must live in Australia, have a valid passport or ImmiCard and, if you are not an Australian citizen, have valid visa information from the Department of Home Affairs. You can enrol yourself or your whole family in myGov and track progress there. For children under 15 you provide their details and identity documents. Family members aged 15 and over need your application number and submit their own details through their own myGov account↗
- Enrolling with a form: If you cannot enrol online, fill in the Medicare enrolment form (MS004) and post or email it with your documents to Medicare Enrolment Services, with the subject line Medicare enrolment. Files must be PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP, each no more than 5MB and no more than 10MB in total↗
- When the Medicare card arrives: Within 3 to 4 weeks after a complete form and documents are received and processed. Once enrolled, you can use the digital card in the myGov app straight away, as long as myGov is linked to your Medicare online account↗
- Medicare phone line: 132 011 (Medicare program line), Monday to Friday 7am–10pm and weekends 7am–7pm. You can ask for an interpreter, arranged free of charge↗
Who do I see when I am unwell, and what does it cost?
Seeing a GP: bulk billing, costs and Medicare benefits
See a GP first. A bulk-billing clinic bills Medicare directly and you pay nothing; otherwise you pay the gap. If unsure, call the free health line; for urgent but not life-threatening problems, try an Urgent Care Clinic.
- What bulk billing is: The doctor bills Medicare directly and accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment, so you pay nothing. If the doctor does not bulk bill, you pay first and then claim the benefit from Medicare↗
- Benefit for a standard GP consultation: MBS item 23 (Level B, a consultation at the surgery lasting at least 6 minutes and less than 20 minutes) has a schedule fee of A$45.05, and the Medicare benefit is 100% = A$45.05. Fees were updated on 1 July 2026↗
- How to recognise a fully bulk billing clinic: Clinics in the programme must be listed as a fully bulk billing practice in healthdirect's National Health Services Directory and display the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice sign. Patients do not need to register for MyMedicare↗
- healthdirect helpline: 1800 022 222, free (calls from mobiles may cost). Registered nurses answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and help you decide whether to see a GP, care for yourself at home or go to emergency. In Victoria the service is called NURSE-ON-CALL↗
- Interpreters: If English is not your first language and you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450 and ask to be connected to healthdirect↗
- Medicare Urgent Care Clinics: For urgent but not life-threatening problems (minor infections, sprains, minor fractures, urinary tract infections, minor cuts, rashes, gastro, minor burns and similar) when you cannot get in to see a GP. Bulk billed, no appointment needed, open early and late. If life is in danger, call 000 or go to the emergency department↗
How much do prescription medicines cost?
PBS prescriptions: co-payments and the Safety Net
PBS medicines have a maximum co-payment per prescription, lower for concession card holders; once you reach the yearly safety net they cost less or nothing. Medicines not on the PBS are full price.
- Maximum co-payment for general patients: A$25.00 for all of 2026 (reduced from A$31.60 on 1 January 2026). After that it is adjusted for CPI each 1 January↗
- Maximum co-payment for concession card holders: A$7.70, frozen until 1 January 2030. Concession cards are Commonwealth cards: the Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, PBS Safety Net card, and DVA Gold, White and Orange cards↗
- Safety Net thresholds for 2026: A$1,748.20 for general patients; A$277.20 for concession card holders (not increased in 2026)↗
- 60-day prescriptions: For stable, ongoing conditions, the prescribing doctor can assess you as suitable and write a 60-day prescription, which gives you double the quantity on one prescription. General patients save up to A$150.00 per medicine per year, and concession card holders up to A$46.20. You do not need a concession card↗
- Medicines not on the PBS: You pay the full price on a private prescription. The government does not subsidise it and it does not count towards the Safety Net. Prices can differ between pharmacies↗
Where do I get help in an emergency or for mental health?
Emergency numbers: 000, 112, 106 and non-emergency numbers
In a life-threatening emergency call the emergency number (the international number also works from mobiles); you can ask for an interpreter.
- Emergency number: 000 (Triple Zero) for police, fire and ambulance, in life-threatening or time-critical situations. It works from landlines, mobiles, satellite phones and some VoIP services, and it is free↗
- 112: The international standard emergency number. It works from mobiles only and reaches the same service as 000. It gets no priority over 000, does not work from landlines or satellite phones, and needs no SIM card or unlock code, but you must have mobile coverage↗
- If you do not speak English: The official advice is to call 000 from a landline, say police, fire or ambulance, then stay on the line; a translator will be arranged to help↗
- Poisons advice: Poisons Information Centre 131 126 (13 11 26), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywhere in Australia. Call if you suspect someone has swallowed medicine by mistake, taken the wrong medicine or been poisoned↗
Mental health support: Lifeline, Beyond Blue and help in your language
If you feel anxious or low, call a free helpline (through the interpreter line if you prefer your own language); free Medicare Mental Health Centres need no appointment or Medicare card.
- Lifeline: Phone 13 11 14, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Text 0477 13 11 14, 24 hours. Online one-to-one chat, 24 hours. Free and confidential, for anyone in Australia↗
- Calling Lifeline in your language: Call 131 450 first, say your language, then say Lifeline 13 11 14 and wait to be connected. The interpreter stays on the line for the whole call↗
- Medicare Mental Health Centres: Free across Australia. No appointment, referral or diagnosis needed; just walk in. Extended opening hours. Free TIS interpreters are available at the centres and on the phone line↗
- How many sessions a Mental Health Treatment Plan covers: With a plan, you can claim up to 10 individual and 10 group therapy sessions from Medicare each calendar year. Your doctor, psychiatrist or paediatrician can refer you for up to 6 sessions at a time; whether you need more is the doctor's decision. Psychologists set their own fees, and Medicare may cover only part of the cost↗
Common questions
How does seeing a doctor work in Australia?
Check whether you can enrol in Medicare, then find a bulk-billing GP. If unsure, call the free health line; in an emergency call 000. Who can enrol: You must live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident, a person who has applied for permanent residency, or a temporary resident covered by a ministerial order. Citizens or permanent residents of Norfolk Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island or Lord Howe Island can also enrol. What bulk billing is: The doctor bills Medicare directly and accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment, so you pay nothing. If the doctor does not bulk bill, you pay first and then claim the benefit from Medicare. healthdirect helpline: 1800 022 222, free (calls from mobiles may cost). Registered nurses answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and help you decide whether to see a GP, care for yourself at home or go to emergency. In Victoria the service is called NURSE-ON-CALL.
Can I get Medicare on a temporary visa?
Most temporary visa holders cannot and rely on OSHC or OVHC insurance; people from reciprocal agreement countries are the exception. Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) countries: There are 11: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Check whether your country is on this list; China, for example, is not. Insurance for temporary visas: Student visas require you to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Work visas such as the 482 and 485 require you to hold Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) that meets the visa conditions. Hospital costs without Medicare: Overseas visitors in a public hospital generally pay more than A$1,000 a day, so the government advises buying the highest level of hospital cover you can.
How do I enrol in Medicare, and how long does it take?
Enrol online through myGov or post the form; you can use a digital card before the plastic one arrives. Enrolling online and as a family: To enrol online you must live in Australia, have a valid passport or ImmiCard and, if you are not an Australian citizen, have valid visa information from the Department of Home Affairs. You can enrol yourself or your whole family in myGov and track progress there. For children under 15 you provide their details and identity documents. Family members aged 15 and over need your application number and submit their own details through their own myGov account. When the Medicare card arrives: Within 3 to 4 weeks after a complete form and documents are received and processed. Once enrolled, you can use the digital card in the myGov app straight away, as long as myGov is linked to your Medicare online account.
Does it cost money to see a GP? What is bulk billing?
A bulk-billing clinic bills Medicare directly and you pay nothing; otherwise you pay the gap. What bulk billing is: The doctor bills Medicare directly and accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment, so you pay nothing. If the doctor does not bulk bill, you pay first and then claim the benefit from Medicare. Benefit for a standard GP consultation: MBS item 23 (Level B, a consultation at the surgery lasting at least 6 minutes and less than 20 minutes) has a schedule fee of A$45.05, and the Medicare benefit is 100% = A$45.05. Fees were updated on 1 July 2026. How to recognise a fully bulk billing clinic: Clinics in the programme must be listed as a fully bulk billing practice in healthdirect's National Health Services Directory and display the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice sign. Patients do not need to register for MyMedicare.
How much do prescription medicines cost in Australia?
PBS medicines have a maximum co-payment per prescription, lower with a concession card, and cheaper or free once you reach the safety net. Maximum co-payment for general patients: A$25.00 for all of 2026 (reduced from A$31.60 on 1 January 2026). After that it is adjusted for CPI each 1 January. Maximum co-payment for concession card holders: A$7.70, frozen until 1 January 2030. Concession cards are Commonwealth cards: the Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, PBS Safety Net card, and DVA Gold, White and Orange cards. Safety Net thresholds for 2026: A$1,748.20 for general patients; A$277.20 for concession card holders (not increased in 2026).
I don't speak English well. How do I call for help in an emergency?
Call 000, say which service you need and wait for an interpreter; for helplines, call the interpreter line first. Emergency number: 000 (Triple Zero) for police, fire and ambulance, in life-threatening or time-critical situations. It works from landlines, mobiles, satellite phones and some VoIP services, and it is free. If you do not speak English: The official advice is to call 000 from a landline, say police, fire or ambulance, then stay on the line; a translator will be arranged to help. Calling Lifeline in your language: Call 131 450 first, say your language, then say Lifeline 13 11 14 and wait to be connected. The interpreter stays on the line for the whole call.
Answers are based on the verified content of this page — the official source always prevails.
Which guides and official sources is this based on?
Medicare is Australia's public health insurance. As a public patient in a public hospital you are treated free, GP and specialist visits and tests are subsidised, and PBS prescription medicines are cheaper. Australian citizens, permanent residents, and people who have applied for a permanent visa and meet the conditions can enrol. Most temporary visa holders (students, work visas) are not eligible and rely on OSHC or OVHC insurance instead. You can enrol in myGov, or fill in form MS004 and post or email it.
In Australia you usually see a GP (general practitioner, or family doctor) first when you are unwell. If the clinic bulk bills, it charges Medicare directly and you pay nothing. If it does not, you pay the full fee first and then claim the Medicare benefit back; the difference (the gap) is your cost. From 1 November 2025 the government extended bulk billing incentives to every patient with Medicare, so more clinics now bulk bill. The easiest thing is to ask 'Do you bulk bill?' when you book.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is the Australian Government's subsidy for prescription medicines. If the medicine is on the PBS list and you have a Medicare card, you pay only a capped co-payment and the government pays the rest. From 1 January 2026, general patients pay at most A$25.00 per prescription and concession card holders at most A$7.70. Once your co-payments in a calendar year reach the Safety Net threshold, medicines are cheaper or even free for the rest of the year. People without Medicare pay the full price.
In Australia, if someone is seriously injured, life or property is in danger, or you have just seen a serious accident or crime, call 000 (Triple Zero). When the call connects, say whether you need police, fire or ambulance. The call is free. From a mobile you can also dial 112, which reaches the same service. People who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment use a TTY to call 106. Do not tie up 000 with non-urgent matters: the police non-emergency number is 131 444, storm and flood help is SES 132 500, health questions go to healthdirect 1800 022 222, and poisoning to 13 11 26.
If you are struggling, having thoughts of suicide or worried about someone close to you, Australia has free 24-hour helplines: Lifeline 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. If life is in danger, call 000. If your English is limited, call the interpreter service TIS on 131 450 first, say your language, and ask to be connected to the helpline. For ongoing treatment, your GP can prepare a Mental Health Treatment Plan so that Medicare pays towards psychological therapy. You can also walk into a free Medicare Mental Health Centre with no referral and no Medicare card.
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The AI answers using this guide and official Australian government websites.