Concession and health care cards

Card details

Your card displays your personal information, so treat it with care and keep it secure. Your card can display:

• your first name and family name
• your Customer Reference Number (CRN)
• your home address
• the date your concession entitlement begins
• the date it expires.

Depending on the card you have, it will also show the:

• first name and family name of your partner, if you have one
• first name of any dependent children.

You can ask us not to have your address or partner’s details printed on your card.

Types of cards

The type of concession or health care card you can get depends on your situation.

You can use your concession or health care card to get cheaper medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. You may also use your concession card if your doctor bulk bills for visits.

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

You can get a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card if you meet all of the following. You:

• have reached Age Pension age
• are an Australian resident and live in Australia or you hold a special category visa
• can’t get a payment from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• meet the income test.

Your card is valid for 1 year. If you remain eligible, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send you a new card each year in August.

Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card

You can get an Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card if you meet all of the following. You:

• are between 16 and 25
• are a full time student
• are an Australian resident and live in Australia or you hold a special category visa
• had a Carer Allowance Health Care Card on the day before you turned 16.

Your card is valid for 1 year. You must renew the card each year.

Foster Child Health Care Card

You can get a Foster Child Health Care Card if you’re a foster carer or care for someone else’s child. You must also meet both of these conditions:

• be an Australian resident and live in Australia
• hold a permanent visa or a special category visa.

Your foster child must live with you as long as you hold this card.

Your card is valid for 1 year. If you remain eligible, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send you a new card each year when the current one expires.

Health Care Card

You can get a Health Care Card if you:

• live in Australia
• get some payments or supplements from us
• meet the age rules of the payment you get.

Payments or supplements include:

• ABSTUDY living allowance
• Austudy
• Carer Allowance if you care for a child under 16 - the card is for the child in your care
• Carer Payment for short term care under 6 months
• Family Tax Benefit Part A at the maximum rate
• Farm Household Allowance
• Mobility Allowance if you don’t get Disability Support Pension
• Newstart Allowance
• Parenting Payment partnered
• Partner Allowance
• Sickness Allowance
• Special Benefit
• Widow Allowance
• Youth Allowance.

Your card is valid for 1 year. If you keep getting the payment or supplement, you will remain eligible.  If you remain eligible, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send you a new card when the current one expires.

Low Income Health Care Card

You can get a Low Income Health Care Card if you’re either:

• 19 or older
• younger than 19 and are independent
• younger than 19 and eligible for Family Tax Benefit.

You must be an Australian resident and live in Australia, or hold 1 of the following visas:

• permanent residence visa holder
• Special Category visa
• partner provisional visa subclass
• temporary protection visa.

You must also meet an income test.

Your card is valid for 1 year. You must renew your card each year.

Pensioner Concession Card

You can get a Pensioner Concession Card if you get:

• Age Pension
• Bereavement Allowance
• Carer Payment
• Disability Support Pension
• Newstart Allowance or Youth Allowance - you must be single and caring for a dependent child while you’re looking for work
• Parenting Payment single.

You’re also eligible if you’re 60 or older and for more than 9 months have been getting 1 of these:

• Newstart Allowance
• Parenting Payment partnered
• Partner Allowance
• Sickness Allowance
• Special Benefit
• Widow Allowance.

Or, you have a partial capacity to work and you get 1 of these payments:

• Newstart Allowance
• Parenting Payment partnered
• Youth Allowance as a job seeker.

Your card is valid for 2 years. If you remain eligible for the pension or allowance you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send you a new card every 2 years on your birthday.

Other support

Other organisations have support services and information you may find helpful. You can use Payment and Service Finder to find help in your local area.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has a concession card for those who are eligible.

Visit the australia.gov.au website for details about state and territory governments Seniors Cards.

Read more about concessions available in your state or territory on their websites:

• Australian Capital Territory - ACT Assistance
• New South Wales – NSW Government Community Support
• Northern Territory - NT Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme
• Queensland - Concessions
• South Australia - Disability concessions and entitlements
• Tasmania - Discounts & concessions
• Victoria – Concessions & benefits
• Western Australia - ConcessionsWA.

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