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Reach · Handout
Finding low-cost care: Australia.
A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United States · United Kingdom · Canada.
Moraph for Good · Reach
Finding low-cost care: Australia
Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/reach/finding-low-cost-care
This sheet lists the kinds of low-cost care that exist, how to ask about price, and the official places to look where you live. It is general information, not medical advice.
Where to look
- Community health centers and free clinics.
- Clinics with sliding-scale or reduced fees.
- Pharmacists and free health advice lines.
- Public programs for people on low incomes.
Ask on the phone
- Are you seeing new patients?
- What does a visit cost, and is there a reduced fee?
- What should I bring?
- Can I have an interpreter?
Bring with you
- Any ID or health card you have.
- Proof of income, if they use a sliding scale.
- A list of the medicines you take.
If it can’t wait
- If it might be an emergency, call the emergency number first.
- If you’re not sure where to go, call the free advice line below.
In Australia
- Bulk billing. If a doctor bulk bills, Medicare pays the full cost and you pay nothing. Not all doctors bulk bill, and some only bulk bill people with a concession or health care card, so ask before you book.
- Public hospitals. Anyone with a Medicare number can get free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital, including its emergency department.
- Free health advice line. The healthdirect helpline, 1800 022 222 (NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria), has registered nurses available 24 hours a day who can tell you whether to see a GP, manage at home or go to an emergency department. Call charges may apply from mobiles.
- Find a service. The healthdirect service finder lists GPs, pharmacies, urgent care services, hospitals and emergency departments near you.
- Medicines and safety nets. PBS-listed medicines cost less when you show your Medicare card, and the PBS Safety Net lowers the cost further once you have spent a set amount in a calendar year. The Medicare Safety Nets give more back to people with high out-of-hospital medical costs.
Official places to check:
- healthdirect Australia (Australian Government): www.healthdirect.gov.au/healthcare-and-services/costs-and-financial-support/bulk-billing-for-medical-services
- healthdirect Australia (Australian Government): www.healthdirect.gov.au/healthcare-and-services/costs-and-financial-support/how-do-i-pay-for-healthcare
- healthdirect Australia (Australian Government): www.healthdirect.gov.au/how-healthdirect-can-help-you
- healthdirect Australia (Australian Government): www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services
- healthdirect Australia (Australian Government): www.healthdirect.gov.au/healthcare-and-services/costs-and-financial-support/medicare-safety-net
General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/reach/finding-low-cost-care