Community Service Announcement

[bear]

Medicare Card

A member has advised they have received a new Medicare Card to their registered psychical address in Australia. They have been away five years this coming April on UP. Needless to say they are thrilled to bits.

They have been returning for a month every 12-18 months or so, have the aforementioned address and an Oz bank account. Going on that, maintaining residency needn't be hard; given the fact they are also being paid. IMHO if we are being paid, they consider us residents. Cheers bear

[nomadic]

i have never had a problem with a new card either. Similar circumstances it seems.

[latindancer]

It would be a different story if they didn't return regularly.

I wonder how often one needs to return ? Perhaps every 2 or 3 years would be sufficient ??

[ann]

So my friend went to Bali on UP about 11 years ago.
Came home twice only.
Medicare card expired about two years ago.
She went onto the Age Pension about 5 years ago.

Came home about 4 months ago and told Centrelink office she was returning permanently.
Told Medicare would not reinstate for six months.

When she actually arrived the Centrelink office could not help her at all.
They got her into the International phone line.
They set up her Medicare - had to wait three days for it to arrive.

She was terrified she would not get Medicare once home but she has.

She had no bank account here, no address here - nothing at all. The draw of grandkids and her health caused her to come home. She is very much enjoying being back and is quite happy. Wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

[bear]

Feb 29, 2020 14:11:02 GMT 7 ann said:

So my friend went to Bali on UP about 11 years ago.
Came home twice only.
Medicare card expired about two years ago.
She went onto the Age Pension about 5 years ago.

Came home about 4 months ago and told Centrelink office she was returning permanently.
Told Medicare would not reinstate for six months.

When she actually arrived the Centrelink office could not help her at all.
They got her into the International phone line.
They set up her Medicare - had to wait three days for it to arrive.

She was terrified she would not get Medicare once home but she has.

She had no bank account here, no address here - nothing at all. The draw of grandkids and her health caused her to come home. She is very much enjoying being back and is quite happy. Wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

Thanks ann that's a positive uplifting story. Seems as always; CIS are the go to people. Heaven forbid they are ever restaffed by Serco contractors though. Cheers bear

[ann]

I’m going to add that she was broke on arrival back here. Centrelink gave her the first two weeks rent on a single bedroom flat and a loan for the deposit. The loan is paid back at $14 a fortnight. She is so relieved as her heath has changed and she needs to be home. She is so happy to be back as it’s much easier and kinder than she was expecting. Must say I feel relieved for her. We aren’t such a bad mean spirited bunch every time it seems. Well, in her case anyway.