IBDWorldwide

Again more cost comes with being diseased! But we’re used to it right? I’ll keep this section short and sweet as there isn’t much to say but there are a few factors to be considered. For example, I did what every person would do and used typical websites like compare the market, go compare etc these sites do what they do and give you the lowest prices they can find. However, wanting to keep costs down I chose the cheapest cover around £200 for a year to investigate first, and I’m glad I did as I could have just bought it online and thought I was covered…wrong! Once I had explained my medical condition over the phone and they found out I was on monthly infusions they actually said they would not cover me at all as I was a high risk traveller so I could have easily wasted my money and thought I was covered when I was not, definitely ring any insurance providers to get a legitimate quote. My advice for travel insurance if coming to Australia from the UK though is probably don’t bother at least if you want it to medically protect you. I say this as you are covered by Australia’s Medicare anyway through the reciprocal health agreement which basically means you will get treated as you do back home free of charge, it really is a wonderful thing and trust me I know it’s all legit and works I’ve had 2 admissions to hospital since being in Oz and haven’t been stung with any hidden fees, all I get asked for is my Medicare card which I will explain how to attain further along the line. Of course get travel insurance if you want to cover belongings, flights etc but looking back now I wish I would have saved finding something that covered everything and shelling out £300+ that money can stretch a long way in Oz.

” When someone tells you it cant be done, its more a reflection of their limitations, NOT YOURS!”

Hey everyone my name is Daniel Whitehead I’m 24 from Manchester in the UK and in November 2019 I took the plunge and came out to Australia on a working holiday visa (WHV), this was something I had always dreamed of doing and I could not wait to get started. However, having Crohns disease things were not as straight forward for me when applying for a visa, sorting medical insurance, getting set up at a new hospital in a totally different country and also figuring out how you will receive your medication whatever it may be. Travelling to the other side of the world for a perfectly healthy person can be daunting without adding the old lifelong chronically tiring medical condition into the mix! Therefore, I want to help people like me and share my journey with you guys and offer any advice on the whole process of travelling down under.

Where to start? VISA!

It can feel like you’ve got a million and one things to do but trust me the whole process is not as bad as it seems, you just need to be determined and set the ball rolling, each step completed sets you a bit closer to your Australian dream. First thing to do is the WHV(Subclass417) application, which will sadly cost you extra due to having IBD or any other medical conditions you need to declare. This is due to you having to pass a medical screening appointment deeming you fit enough to enter the country, the cost for your WHV is around £250 and should be done through the immi government website. Once they receive your application you will have to complete tasks through the government account to aid your application, one of these will be to book your medical screening, it is important to follow the steps and book your appointment at your nearest location ASAP to ensure your application does not get delayed. This is frustrating as any healthy person can usually get their visa approved within less than a day (*shakes fist* damn you healthy people) but ours rely on passing a £250 medical screening and trusting that the medical professional sees us fit for travel. Factoring in both costs of the visa and medical your looking at £500 to get you on your way, I must stress that there is no guarantee the Australian government will accept every application they receive but without risk there is no reward so DO NOT let this hold you back. In my experience from the start of my visa application to attending my appointment it took around a month for it to finally be approved, I will always remember the moment I checked my emails and saw the words VISA GRANTED you should cherish this to as your dreams are slowly manifesting into your reality. You quickly forget about the money you’ve spent once you receive that email and although it feels like a kick in the teeth because you feel as though you are being penalised for simply not being well you just have to look at the positives, I saw the medical as just another hurdle in the way that I had to jump in order to reach that Australian finish line. As I’m sure your all aware it is a common theme that having a lifelong medical condition adds costs to things like visas and insurances which brings me onto the next task…travel insurance.