Going to hospital

There are 2 ways to be admitted to hospital:

• in an emergency
• as a booked patient.

Going to hospital in an emergency

If you’re badly hurt or sick, you may need to go to a hospital emergency department. You can find an emergency department near you, using the find a health service tool on the healthdirect website.

Learn more about emergency departments on the healthdirect website.

Going to hospital as a booked patient

You may need to go to hospital as a booked patient if you have an injury or illness that:

• doesn’t require immediate treatment
• needs the care of a specialist who works out of a hospital.

Choosing between public or private hospital

You may have the choice between going to a public or a private hospital. Find out how to choose between public and private hospital on the healthdirect website.

Preparing for your hospital stay

You can find tips for preparing for your hospital stay on the Victorian Government Better Health Channel website.

Costs for going to hospital

If you go to a public hospital as a public patient, your costs are covered by Medicare.

If you choose to get treatment as a private patient, your costs will depend on a few things such as:

• what treatment you need
• how much your surgeon or specialist charges
• if you have private health insurance.

Talk to your specialist or surgeon about what costs to expect for your hospital treatment. If you have private health insurance your provider will be able to tell you how much your insurance will cover.

To learn about the typical cost of common services, use the Medical Costs Finder on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.