7 December 2016 - Foreign students and 457 visa holders are leaving behind ­millions of dollars in unpaid ­hospital bills each year amid ­complaints about the quality of the health ­insurance they are ­required to hold in Australia.

Australia has reciprocal healthcare arrangements with 11 countries, whose citizens are ­­­en­titled to mostly free treatment in Australia. In 2015-16, Medicare paid out more than $8 million in rebates under such arrangements, mostly for people from Britain.

Those not eligible for Medicare are required to pay for healthcare while in the country, and some student and working visas require holders to have private health cover during their stay. However, tough rules on health insurance policies lead many foreigners to public hospitals, hoping to be treated free like Australians.

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