Geelong has world class health care and all permanent residents are entitled to benefits.
The Medicare system is publicly funded, and provides permanent residents with access to both hospital and non-emergency care.
The City of Greater Geelong is focused on improving the health and quality of life of all residents of Greater Geelong.
Hospitals
Emergency Departments
All 3 major hospitals in Geelong (above) have emergency departments.
Note: Private emergency departments charge a flat fee for an initial patient consultation. This flat fee is not claimable under Medicare or private health insurance
Doctors, general practitioners (GPs) and allied services
The Geelong region has a range of medical practitioners operating through Bulk Billing or Fee For Service. Bulk Billing is a payment option where the practitioner is paid directly by the government under the Medicare system.
Fee for Service involves the patient paying for the services, and then visiting a Medicare office for a partial refund.
Choosing a doctor (General Practitioner)
It is important that you, and your family, are comfortable with the GP of your choosing. Health reforms in recent years have given Australians great access to health care and even greater choice of providers.
The common questions you will need to answer are:
- How important is seeing the same GP each visit?
- What level of qualification do you require from your GP?
- How important is bulk billing (government subsidy) to you?
The ABC provides a resource for helping you decide on the type of care most appropriate for you.
The Geelong Region has a range of doctors (Usually referred to as General practitioners or 'GP's') operating individually or as part of a larger medical clinic. To find information on the range of practitioners available in Geelong see the
National Health Services Directory.
Medicare
Medicare provides all Australians with access to free or low-cost health services and a number of other programs. Medicare's website can provide you with all the answers you may have about our public health system.
Private health insurance
As Medicare does not cover all costs and because not all visa types are eligible for Medicare, it is advisable to take out private health insurance cover.
Reciprocal health care rights
Some countries have reciprocal health insurance coverage with Australia. These include Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
Aged care
City of Greater Geelong has extensive aged care services and facilities; Get easy access to home assessments, parking permits, volunteering organisations, seniors clubs and more.
Immunisation services
We provide a public immunisation service through Barwon Health.
Our service provides:
- Free immunisation of all National Immunisation Schedule vaccines to all eligible residents in our community.
- Vaccination histories for School Entry Immunisation Certificates.
- Advice and support for residents relating to vaccinations through a number of organisations.
This service is provided to ensure the health and wellbeing of every resident in our community by reducing the incidence of vaccine preventable diseases.
Maternal and Child Health
The Maternal and Child Health service provides information, advice and support to those caring for babies and young children.
Using their expertise in normal development and behaviour of children aged up to 6 years, our team of specialist nurses and child health workers carry out health and development reviews via home visits and appointments at Maternal and Child Health Centres.
Our Maternal and Child Health Service provides early recognition of problems which may affect a child's progress.
Further information on medical services in the State of Victoria
The Better Health Channel (BHC) provides health and medical information that is quality assured, reliable, up to date, easy to understand, regularly reviewed and locally relevant. BHC does not have any advertising or sponsorship and is fully funded by the State Government of Victoria (Australia).