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Health Care Cards:

A Health Care Card entitles you to cheaper medicines and some other concessions.

• Do I qualify for a Health Care Card?
• How do I claim a Health Care Card?
• When will I receive a Health Care Card?
• What benefits does the Health Care Card provide?
• How do I find out more?

Do I qualify for a Health Care Card?

You can get a Health Care Card if you:

• get one of the following payments:
  • Newstart Allowance
  • Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment
  • Special Benefit
  • Sickness Allowance
  • Partner Allowance
  • Widow Allowance
  • Youth Allowance (only job seekers receive a card automatically, you need to apply as a low income earner if you are a full-time student)
  • Parenting Payment (Partnered)
  • maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A
  • Mobility Allowance (if you are not receiving Disability Support Pension)
  • Carer Allowance (for a child under 16 years with a disability - the card is for the direct benefit of the child only)
    
    
• are a foster carer - the card is issued in the name of the foster child in your care. You are also eligible if you are caring for children who are not your natural or adopted children, for example if you are a grandparent or aunty. You can claim the card with Family Tax Benefit or put in a separate claim.

  If you share care of a child for at least 14 per cent of the time (two or more nights per fortnight), you may be eligible for Rent Assistance, a Health Care Card, Remote Area Allowance, Child Care Benefit and/or access to the lower threshold of the Medicare Safety Net.

• are a low income earner - go to Low Income Health Care Cards for more information
• are a former holder of a Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card - go to Ex Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Cards page on our website for more information.

If you previously participated in a Community Development Employment Project or were getting one of the below payments continuously for more than 12 months:

• Newstart Allowance
• Partner Allowance
• Widow Allowance
• Special Benefit
• Parenting Payment (Single)
• Youth Allowance

you can continue to receive a Health Care Card for six months after you stopped participating in the project or receiving your payment because of a return to work.

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How do I claim a Health Care Card?

In most cases you do not need to make a separate claim. The card will be automatically sent to you when your claim for one of the payments, allowances or benefits above is approved.

You will need to complete a separate claim form if you:

• get ABSTUDY (and are aged over 16 years)
• get Austudy or Youth Allowance (student) and your income was over the income limit when you first claimed one of these payments
• are a low income earner - go to Low Income Health Care Cards page on our website for more information
• are a former holder of a Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card - go to Ex Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Cards page on our website for more information.

You can get a Health Care Card application form by:

• calling Centrelink and asking for one to be posted to you
• going to any Centrelink Customer Service Centre.

Intent to Claim

You can register an Intent to Claim for a concession card. This will ensure you are granted a concession card from the earliest possible date.

Once you have registered your Intent to Claim, a Centrelink Customer Service Adviser will contact you within 2 days to assist you with your claim and send you a claim form.

If you cannot register yourself, someone else can do it for you, so you can register your Intent to Claim as soon as possible.

For how to register and more information, go to the Intent to Claim page on our website.

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When will I receive a Health Care Card?

Your Health Care Card will be sent to you when your claim for one of the payments, allowances or benefits above is approved.

A card will then be re-issued at different times throughout the year depending on what payment/s you receive from Centrelink at that time.

* Need to reapply every 6 months
** Need to reapply every 12 months

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What benefits does the Health Care Card provide?

The card entitles you to cheaper medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

You may also be entitled to some extra concessions from state and local government authorities. Health Care Card concessions differ from state to state and some of these extra concessions may also be available to your dependents.

Please check with the organisation providing the concession. For more information, go to the www.australia.gov.au website.

Note: When using services covered by Medicare, you will also need to show your Medicare Card.

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How do I find out more?

For more information about concessions:

• download A Guide to Centrelink Concession Cards
• go to the Low Income Health Care Cards page on our website
• go to the Ex Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card page on our website
• visit your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre
• go to the www.australia.gov.au website
• go to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme information on the Medicare Australia website

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