Hi all!
A few months back my partner (29 years old) and I were ready to move to Australia since both of us had a really nice job offer there (and we love the country). The week before the move she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As you all can imagine our world broke apart. We immediately cancelled everything related to the move and focused on her health.
A few months have past, things are more estable now. She had a Hormone-sensitive to ER/PR Her2- Ki67 7%.
She has started hormonal treatment with Letrozole and Zoladex/Goserelin Implant.
Now that we are getting used to our “new normal”, we have started to think again about moving to Australia.
We are aware that the insurances there would not cover any pre-existing condition, we would need to rely mainly on Medicare due the Reciprocal Health Care agreement of both countries.
Has anyone on this community been to Australia after having had cancer?
We could bring medicines for the first 3 months, but the Zoladex/Goserelin Implant need to be “replaced” every month. We wonder how fast we could get that prescription there?
Besides the cost of the medicine, she will need a chest MRI every year and a mammogram + ultrasound every year, plus a visit to the oncology twice a year probably. All this makes us wonder, is it even financialy possible?
If anyone has any experience on changing of countries after cancer, please share your stories!
Hi Orion ,sorry you haven’t had a response as yet hopefully you will find someone on the forum who can help.There are definately ladies from Oz on the forum but not sure if any of them have moved there from other countries.Hope you manage to realise your dream.Jill x
My husband worked for an Australian company for 6 months last year. I had to undergo a thorough medical to be issued with a visa to even set foot on antipodean soil and I had been diagnosed 5 years earlier with no ongoing problems.
We signed up with Medicare and had no problems seeing a doctor or getting repeat prescriptions. Most people I met had private Bupa insurance as a back up to Medicare as the health system isn’t as good as the NHS. If you need an ambulance you have to pay for it, so private health care is a must. Dentists are all private as well.
Australia changed their Visa categories while we are out there and it is now more costly to settle there. Where you needed £8000 for elder relatives, it was upped to £40,000 to cover future medical costs. I don’t know if that would be similar for somebody with a pre existing condition.
You will need to do your homework before embarking on your applications, I wish you all the luck in the world as it is a fabulous country.
Slightly different but we are considering retiring to Spain. Has anyone here moved to Spain after BC?? My surgery was done 7 month ago then rads. I am now on anastrozole for 10 years with annual checks. Is it easy to get this prescription and check ups in Spain? I also take calcium tablets I presume i will be able to get that ok. Thanks for any advice.??