Medicare covers only services provided in Australia. Australians visiting countries with which Australia has reciprocal health agreements are generally covered by the host country’s public health care system while they are in the host country.

Contact Medicare to check the details of what is covered by the agreement in each country. Remember to take your Medicare card with you.

Generally reciprocal health arrangements only cover emergency care, and not on-going pre-existing conditions. Some people report they have been able to obtain HIV related services in some of these countries. This of course is at the discretion of the service provider. It is not part of the reciprocal health agreements with these countries, and cannot be relied upon.

Australia currently has reciprocal health
agreements with nine countries:

• The United Kingdom (includes Northern Ireland)
• The Netherlands
• Malta
• Italy
• Sweden
• Finland
• Republic of Ireland (Eire)
• Norway
• New Zealand