Medicare is the publicly funded Australian health system. It ensures a high level of health care for all Australians regardless of their level of income.

Medicare is not available to Temporary Residents, unless they are from Reciprocal Agreement countries, in which case the benefits are limited to "medically necessary" treatment.

It is for this reason that AHI exists. AHI and IMAN are here to service the health insurance needs of Temporary Residents and Overseas Visitors working in Australia.

For example, if a United States citizen were to have a heart attack in Australia not one cent of the cost of the surgery, hospitalisation, etc. would be borne by the Australian Government.

Their Sponsor, or their Employer, if that employer sponsored them, would be liable for all public hospital related expenses incurred in Australia. That is a very expensive risk to self-insure, so Sponsors require 457 VISA Employees to take out health insurance.

Medicare and "the Gap" - a very important point

In Australia by law, health insurance funds insuring Australian residents are only allowed to reimburse up to a set amount. The amount is set by the Government and is found in the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS). In certain cases, funds are able to reduce the 'gap' by entering into contracts with 'participating hospitals'. The actual amount billed will vary depending on the type of treatment. Doctors sometimes charge up to twice the MBS amount, and many senior specialists and surgeons will charge up to three or four times that fee, hence the expression "the gap" that is used to explain the problem.