Concession and health care cards

Having a concession or health care card gives you access to a range of Australian Government concessions. These can reduce the cost of some health care services or prescription medicines. If you get some income support payments, you will automatically receive a concession or health care card.

Types of concession and health care cards

The type of concession or health care card you can claim will depend on:

• the type of income support payment you receive
• your age
• whether you have dependants
• other requirements.

There are different types of concession and health care cards. Each card has its own eligibility requirements and concessions:

• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
• Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card
• Foster Child Health Care Card
• Health Care Card
• Low Income Health Care Card
• Medicare Card
• Pensioner Concession Card

Download a copy of A guide to concession cards booklet.

Benefits and concessions

Having a concession or health care card entitles you to cheaper health care services and less expensive medicines. For example, visits to your doctor or having tests may cost you less once you reach the Medicare Safety Net threshold and medicines may cost you less under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the PBS Safety Net .

Your partner and children may also be covered by the card if it relates to an income support payment.

If you have a Low Income Health Care Card your children may also be covered by the card.

In addition to Medicare services, concession cards can give you, your partner and dependants other concessions from state and local government authorities and private businesses.

If you don’t show your card

If you don’t show your Medicare or concession card to the pharmacist, you may have to pay the full price for your PBS medicine.

If this happens, ask your pharmacist for an official pharmacy receipt (not the regular sales docket).

You may be able to get a refund if you:

• take your official pharmacy receipt (not the sales docket) to a Service Centre and show your Medicare card and your concessioncard
  or
• fill out a Patient Claim for Refund form and post it along with your official pharmacy receipt to:
  PBS Processing Centre GPO Box 9826 in your capital city.

If you go outside Australia

There are rules about using your concession and health care card when you leave Australia.

Read more about payments while you are outside Australia.

If you lose your card

If you lose your concession or health care card, contact us and we will send you a new card.

If you need a card urgently, you can get a temporary concession card at any Service Centre.