Medicare - Australia's universal health insurance scheme
Medicare allows all Australians and some overseas visitors to access a wide range of health and hospital services at low or no cost.
Once you move to the Territory, you must update your details as soon as you arrive. We have a checklist that can help ensure that all your details get updated.
There are easy ways to update your Medicare details:
- Through your myGov account
- Download the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
- Call Medicare general enquiries on 132 011
- Visit your nearest Centrelink/Medicare
Medicare can subsidise:
- Hospital services as a public patient, including emergency care, most surgeries and procedures, medicines provided in hospital and follow up care.
- Medical services like consultations with general practitioners, specialists and other health practitioners.
- Mental health services, including mental health assessments and treatments plans.
- Some dental procedures, eye tests and prescription medicines.
- Testing, imaging, and scans, such as pathology, ultrasounds, x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine scans.
Medicare pays 75% of the scheduled fee for services and procedures if you are a private patient in a public or private hospital.
This does not include hospital accommodation and items like theatre fees and medicines.
Most temporary visa holders are not eligible to access Medicare. However, Medicare will pay for health care services for citizens from certain countries.