General Chat

As many of you know, OH was ill recently, and spent a week in hospital.

While in hospital he had tests, including xrays. The xray area is not part of the hospital administration, a separate business..... so we got an account; after the rebates from medicare & our insurance, one xray cost almost $800.

The specialist wanted OH to have another of these xrays, and gave him a referral to go to the xray people at the hospital. The hospital is about 40 minutes drive away, and parking is a nightmare, so OH went to our local GP and asked for a referral to the xray place which is only 10 minutes from us.

How much do you think the 2nd xray cost?

Nothing. That's right........ nothing!

The one at the hospital is in Qld, our local one is in NSW, and they bulk bill!

Any Aussies reading this............ if you're having xrays, 'phone them and ask what they charge!

OH is much, much better. The specialist was amazed at how quickly he recovered. He has another appointment early in December, hopefully he'll be 100% by then.

Scozz, gosh that was expensive. Pleased to hear that your OH is better now, you must be relieved.

LadyScozz <3 glad to hear hubby is much better, maybe the prospect of paying out $800 a time for an x-ray helped his recovery :-D :-D :-D

Mostly dusty, hot, sweaty, terrible beer you fortunately cannot taste because it is perma frost cooled, haute cuisine means barbies, BigPond, mad politicians, flies, native fauna out to get you at any unexpected moment, traffic police out to get you at any unexpected moment, Qantas, amazingly expensive and capricious health system, amazingly tenacious and capricious tax system, 2 000 miles form the nearest civilised country (Kiwiland), mega environmental burn down, mining companies, the numbingbly boring urban sprawl of the small towns around the big cities, Sydney, street crime, the worst tv in the world after North Korea, Neighbours, sweet fruity wine .....

Some of my rellies live there god knows why. And now my niece and her family have upped sticks and gone there too.

:-S

Rollo, you forgot to mention that in the West we are nearly twenty years behind the East, which is ten years behind anywhere else!

We still have steam TV and gas radio...and as for the drop bears!!

Bloody vampires!

Been here have you, Rollo?

Scozz - I'm glad your husband is recovering well. Not a good time for either of you.

More than once

My heartfelt sympathies to nearly all Australians.
http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2004/02/16/a-beginners-guide-to-cricket/

Members of GRU should have a whip round and send a copy of this to the MCG Brunton Ave, East Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia ?

<3

Some of my rellies really love Australia and are handy with a camera.

try here:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/kimr18/calendars/1579541-scenic-australia?p=calendar

I may have spent more time in the UK than you have in Oz Rollo.

I know where I'd rather live.

We moan about the NHS and its faults, but at least we don't get stung with a bill because we've been refered 'out of area'.

Good to hear that your OH is on the mend :-)

LadyScozz is undoubtedly correct I have never needed to extend my visa!. I am not sure about Scottish visas - last time I went it was ok but you never know.

You don't have to jump in the river to figure out that crocodiles bite.
( Mr C Dundee ). I admire the crocs for hanging on and the Ozzies for protecting them as a species. Does Oz medical insurance cover crocodile bites ? If they are handled anything like English A&E then you'd only need life insurance.

The native fauna is one of the magical things about Australia along with the barrier reef and Ayers Rock. I'd just love to see the platypus duck in the wild. IMHO it should be the Oz national animal, not the 'roo. It is different, an obstinate survivor and kind, just like Australians :-) I hope the Koala bear survives despite the fires.

OTOH he none native fauna in, say, Fairfield, Sydney can be challenging.

Glad your OH is on the mend, medical expenses can be truly devastating!

It's difficult as a tourist when you have to pay the bills immediately and then wait for the insurer to reimburse you.

Re Sydney......I loved it. As with any large city anywhere in the world there are areas to be avoided. If you want to really experience the 'rough' areas in the world there are places in Africa and Central and Southern America you couldn't pay me enough money to visit.

Scozz I Hear so many people complain about life in the UK I have travelled to many countries and have also owned a second home abroad. Despite what the knockers may say I love my country and respect you for being loyal to your homeland, we are all different and have differing ideas and absolutely nowhere is perfect
I am so glad your OH is feeling better I know ow worried you have been. Take care x

There are obviously bits and pieces of Africa which are having a bad time, eg Northern Algeria, Somalia and parts of S Africa to name a few. Is anywhere in S America really the horrors ?

Confining myself just to places I have had to go to making a buck I would put Russia top of the list. On top of the ongoing Chechen problem and organised-crime-totally-out-of-control they have the krokodil.

http://www.basisonline.org/2011/11/addiction-the-humanities-vol-79-why-krokodil-why-russia.html
(do not view if of delicate disposition)

Anybody who has seen Russian health care knows that Geo Osbourne has way to go before running out of scope for cuts.
:-(

Rollo, my niece's driver was shot dead in front of his wife and children in Venezuela. People are killed for just a few dollars, literally. My family always traveled with armed guards.

Colombia...............that's a given!

My son avoids zones in Guatemala city at all costs. Honduras isn't a place to visit at anytime, the same with El Salvador.

I've been to Mexico!!!

Dear LadyScozz

Hello

Very glad to hear your husband is feeling better. :-)


Take gentle care of each other.
Very best wishes
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

THANKYOU Elizabeth, and others who sent good wishes.

This started out as a thread about my OH and the weird way some medical places have of billing.......... now it's turned into a country bashing thread.

I don't think I'll be adding any more to this.

At least Rollo didn't bash Kiwiland, he called us civilized!