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WDHS is a public health care facility.

Any patient who is not eligible for Medicare benefits will be required to pay WDHS for all medical care and services.

This includes all outpatient visits, emergency department attendances as well as inpatient care and accommodation.

Overseas visitors are treated as a Medicare Ineligible Patient, unless they are from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with.


A MEDICARE INELIGABLE PERSON is any visitor to Australia who:

DOES NOT hold a valid Medicare card,

Or DOES NOT fall under one of the following classifications:

  • Reciprocal Rights: the Australian Government has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with the governments of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy. Visitors from Malta & Italy are covered for Medicare for a period of six months from date of arrival in Australia.
  • Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Asylum Seekers and Refugees are provided with free medical care (including diagnostic services) in Victorian hospitals. Asylum Seekers/Refugees will need to produce appropriate documents of Immigration and Citizenship or a recognised asylum support agency, such as Red Cross. If this document is not produced, you will be expected to pay for all medical costs; however the fee will be waived once the documents are presented.
  • Diplomats: Diplomats and their families are covered by Medicare for medical care as private patients in a public or private hospital. Such persons are eligible for, and generally will hold, a Medicare card.
  • Overseas Students: All foreign students studying in Australia, with the exception of students from Sweden and Norway, are required to take out Overseas Student Heath Cover (OSHC).

What does a Medicare Ineligible Patient pay for?

A Medicare Ineligible Patient is responsible for all of their health costs including any transport cost. This includes fees and charges for:
• Inpatient care
• Accommodation
• Emergency department attendances
• Outpatient visits
• Doctor’s visits
• Diagnostic tests, including pathology and radiology
• Discharge medication
• Allied Health (e.g. Physiotherapy, Dietitian visits)
• Transport

All Overseas visitors are required to provide the following information:
• Your passport
• Visa documentation & date of entry validation
• Credit Card details
• Contact Information during your stay in Australia
• Relevant health insurance policy details

Health Insurance
Depending on the visa classification type, it is a mandatory requirement that overseas visitors have health insurance cover while staying in Australia.
If visa holders are not meeting their health insurance conditions, they are considered in breach of their visa requirement.

Accommodation, Emergency Department and Outpatient Fees – Current Fees

** Please note new fees as per January 2025 as per below

Patient ClassificationFees and charges
Accommodation Charges  – TBC by WDHS Finance Dept 
Same day: single room $403
Same day: shared ward$281
Overnight: single room$908
Overnight: shared ward$783
Intensive Care Unit: 1-4 days$6,325
Intensive Care Unit: 5+ days$5,816
Obstetrics (including care of new born)*$164,000*
Emergency Department (followed by an admission)**$1,537**
Emergency Department (non-admitted)$592
Hospital in the home $420
Outpatients – fee per encounter 
Medical $355
Allied Health$205
  • A number of costs are excluded and will be billed separately:
    • Medical practitioner
    • Diagnostics (Dorevitch Pathology and Bendigo Radiology)
    • Prostheses
    • Medications
    • Theatre fees
  • * This package includes all obstetric related treatment:
    • all outpatient visits (antenatal and postnatal up to 30 days), inpatient admitted care (up to 3 days), medical fees, emergency fees, theatre fees, interpreter fees and anaesthetic fees.
    • This fee does not include medical imaging, pathology or discharge pharmacy fees.
    • It also does not include air or road ambulance services for obstetric patient or newborn to another health care facility.
    • A 5% reduction is applicable if full payment made at first instalment.

** This fee is in addition to the acute overnight stay fee if admitted.

Fees quoted are correct at the time of publication. WDHS reserves the right to review fees and notify any changes by correspondence.

For Further Information Visit:

Department of Health
Patient fees and charges for public health services – Ineligible patients
https://www.health.vic.gov.au/patient-fees-charges/ineligible-patients

WDHS:
For more advice or information regarding Medicare access and Medicare Ineligibility at WDHS contact:
(03) 5551 8222

Last updated: 10 February, 2025

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