Medicare and Health Insurance

Medicare and Health Insurance

Medicare subsides most eye examinations provided by optometrists for all permanent residents of Australia.

You will receive Medicare benefits for eye examinations, except for some contact lens fitting consultations and some examinations that test your visual fitness to drive, fly or be employed by organisations such as the Australian Defence Forces.

The optometrists at Swan Hill Optical will direct bill the government on your behalf. This is also known as ‘bulk-billing’.

If your optometrist bulk bills Medicare for your eye examination you pay nothing out of pocket for the examination. Medicare pays the optometrist 85 per cent of the examination fee and that is accepted by the optometrist as full payment.

Sometimes your optometrist may recommend additional testing, such as digital retinal photography or OCT scans, and that is not normally eligible for a Medicare rebate but is recommended in the best interests of your eye health.

If you have private health insurance with extras cover you may be eligible for subsidised prescription glasses and contact lenses. If you are unsure of your private health rebate you should contact your private health insurer.

Swan Hill Optical has relationships with most health insurers.