- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Pensioner Concession Card
- State-based Seniors Card
To be eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC), you must:
Age pension age for men and women is 66 2.
The income test for the CSHC is based on:
Each State and Territory has its own Seniors Card6. Eligibility and entitlements differ across States, but these cards usually offer discounts on transport, electricity and gas bills, rates and more.
If you’re eligible for the age pension, it’s likely you're also able to get a Pensioner Concession Card. This is separate from both the Commonwealth and State-based seniors cards.
The Pensioner Concession Card provides access to cheaper health care, prescriptions, and some other savings when you receive the age pension or other Centrelink payments. Benefits of a Pensioner Concession Card can include7:
When you reach age pension age, the simplest way to claim your card is online. To claim your card online, you’ll need a myGov account linked to Centrelink. You can set these accounts up online. If you aren’t able to claim online, you can print a form from the Centrelink website.
Whichever way you make your claim for your CSHC card, you may need to provide supporting documents, including:
A CSHC entitles you to benefits including:
Everyone’s circumstances are different. But having a CSHC doesn’t mean you can forget your private health insurance. While the card offers benefits for medications, doctor visits covered under Medicare, and refunds when you hit the Medicare Safety Net..
With or without the card, you’re entitled to free care in public hospitals via the Medicare system, but depending on where you live, ambulance services may or may not be covered and you could get an unexpected bill after an emergency.
As you enter a new stage of life, your needs and priorities change, and your health insurance needs to keep up. If it’s important to you to have a private room if you need to have a hospital stay, or if you want to avoid being put on a public hospital waiting list for surgery or treatment you need now, it's a smart idea to keep a policy suited to your needs.
Take the time to compare policies and check the inclusions so you’re not paying for any services you don't need, and you’re covered for things that are important to you. You may find a better deal that covers you for what’s important now, not what you needed years ago when you first bought your policy.
Yes, you can nominate someone to represent you with Centrelink to discuss your card11.
The team here at iSelect can support you to make smart choices about your private health insurance as your lifestyle and health priorities change. We’ll help you find a health policy that meet your needs from our range of policies and providers. Start comparing online today, or call us on 13 19 20.
Sources:
1. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/eligibility/income-test
2. https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/life-events-and-you/over-55s/your-money
3. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/what-adjusted-taxable-income/29571
4. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/deeming
5. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/eligibility/non-income-tested-card
6. https://www.australia.gov.au/content/seniors-card
7. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/pensioner-concession-card
8. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/claiming/supporting-documents
9. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/pharmaceutical-benefits-scheme
10. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net
11. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/managing/someone-deal-us-your-behalf
Last updated: 25/05/2021
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