Who can get it
To be eligible for Medicare under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA), you must be insured in the Belgium health system. This includes citizens and non-citizens of Belgium.
If you’re here on a student visa you are eligible.
The RHCA doesn’t apply if you travel to Australia for medical treatment.
You may be eligible to get medical treatment in Australia under the RHCA if you’re travelling to, leaving from, or diverted to Australia, and you needed treatment during your voyage or flight.
If you’re in Australia for a short time and don’t need medical care, there’s no need to enrol.
If you’re a diplomat
If you’re a diplomat, you and your family are eligible to enrol in Medicare while you’re posted here.
This means the cover under the agreement will apply for as long as you’re in Australia.
If you’re not eligible for Medicare
If you’re not eligible for Medicare, you can’t claim a benefit for treatment you have in Australia. If you need to lodge an income tax return in Australia, you may be eligible for a Medicare levy exemption. This applies if you weren’t eligible for Medicare for all or part of the financial year. You’ll need to get a Medicare Entitlement Statement from us to do this.
Read more about the Medicare levy exemption on the Australian Taxation Office website.
What’s covered
The agreement covers:
- medically necessary care out of hospital
- medically necessary care as a public patient in a public hospital including inpatient and outpatient services
- some PBS prescription medicines at the general rate.
Read more about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
How to enrol in Medicare
You’ll need to give us copies of your supporting documents. These documents don’t need to get certified. To enrol in Medicare you will need to download and complete the Medicare enrolment form. Follow the instructions on the form to enrol.
You need to give us your:
- current visa
- Belgium or non-Belgium passport.
We also need either your:
- valid Belgian Health Insurance Card
- valid European Health Insurance Card with the initials BE.
When your cover starts and ends
Your cover starts the day you arrive in Australia. It ends when the first of these expires:
- your Belgian Health Insurance Card
- your European Health Insurance Card
- your visa.
If you get medical treatment in Australia before you enrol in Medicare, you may get a Medicare benefit for it.
Once you enrol in Medicare, you should submit a claim. We’ll then be able to tell you if you can get a benefit under the agreement or not.