Response 193157051

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Australian citizens who travel overseas and suspend their Australian health insurance are penalised by having to pay the Medicare levy for the period of suspension. However, Medicare will not cover the citizen for their overseas health care and only a small number of countries have reciprocal health care arrangements with Australia. This means the traveller must decide whether they are least disadvantaged by paying the Medicare levy or by not suspending their private health insurance. It seems fraudulent that you must pay the levy even if you have travel insurance in lieu of private health insurance, and you cannot access Medicare i.e. you must pay for a product which you are unable to use.