Am I eligible for RHCA in Australia or overseas?

If you're visiting Australia from an RHCA country, to make use of the Medicare cover available, you must enrol in Medicare. To do this, you will need to complete a Medicare Enrolment Application Form, which is available online from the Department of Human Services website, and submit it at a Medicare service centre. You will need the following documentation to enrol in Medicare: Passport Valid visa Proof you are enrolled in your home country's national health scheme (only in some cases) Meanwhile, if you're an Australian heading overseas to visit an RHCA country, you will need to supply the following in order to qualify for subsidised medical care: Your Australian passport Your Medicare card

Does an RHCA mean that health care is free in that country?

No. It means that you will be entitled to some of the same public healthcare benefits that are available to citizens of that country. For some countries, like the UK, this does mean that a lot of your health care is free. But for many, you will likely have to pay a small fee, as many operate in a similar way to Medicare in Australia, so there will still be some out-of-pocket expenses.

What if I'm from a country that does not have an RHCA with Australia?

Then you will not be covered by Medicare. If you are not from one of the 11 countries Australia has an agreement with, you will most likely need to get overseas health insurance. Not only will it ensure you don't have huge bills whenever you visit a doctor or hospital, but most visas also require that you have some kind of health insurance in place. These include the 457 temporary work (skilled) visa and the 485 temporary graduate visa.