Health Cards

HEALTH CARE CARD

If you receive a Centrelink benefit (e.g. Youth Allowance), you may qualify for a Health care card, which will entitle you to reduced cost medications and other concessions (e.g. cheaper or free visits to the doctor, reduced costs for dentist and optometrist appointments). You can find out if you are eligible and entitled from your local Centrelink office or website:
www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/health-care-card

MEDICARE

What is Medicare?

Medicare ensures that all Australians can get free or low cost medical, optometrist (getting glasses or having eyes tested) and hospital care when they need it.If you have a Medicare card (which you definitely should) then you generally don’t have to pay for up to 85% of your doctors, optometrists or public hospital bills.

Can I get a Medicare card?

People who live in Australia can get a Medicare card if they:

• have Australian or New Zealand citizenship,
• have been issued with or have applied a permanent visa (excludes an application for a parent visa)—other requirements apply. Contact Medicare for further information.

Where do I get a Medicare card?

You can get a Medicare card by downloading the form below and taking it into a Medicare office with your original or certified copies of your birth certificate or passport to prove that you are allowed one.
http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/3101

What is bulk billing?

Bulk billing is great. It basically means that your visit to the doctor is free – you don’t have to pay any fees for your visit as long as you have your Medicare card.

Not all doctors have bulk billing for their patients so you will need to find yourself a good doctor’s surgery that has bulk billing and you will save yourself a lot of money.You can find out by just asking the receptionist or they sometimes have a sign saying ‘bulk billing available’.

For more information or to contact Medicare, check out their website www.medicareaustralia.gov.au