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A Health Care Card is a card issued by Centrelink on behalf of Health Insurance Commission (HIC), under Commonwealth Health or Social Security legislation. Its primary purpose is to indicate a customer's entitlement to Commonwealth Health concessions such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Your Health Care Card can be used as proof of your entitlement to concessions offered by your State and Local Government authority. Many private companies also offer concessions to Health Care Card holders.

You can get a Health Care Card if:

Future Claim

We will assess your eligibility for a Health Care Card after eight weeks payment continuity. You do not have to provide any extra documents or answer further questions. If you need a Health Care Card sooner, you are still able to lodge a claim at any time.

Immediate Claim

If you have an immediate claim for a Health Care Card you will need to provide details of your (and your partner's) income for the last eight weeks. You will also need to provide documentary evidence of the income received.

What is a Low Income Card?

Also known as a Low Income Health Care Card. The Low Income Card shows you are entitled to Commonwealth health concessions such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Your card may also give you access to a limited range of State and Local Government concessions such as health, household, educational, recreational, and transport expenses. Many private companies also offer concessions to Low Income Health Care Card holders

The Low Income Health Care Card can be claimed by low income earners not in receipt of a social security payment. The card is valid for twelve months

Do I qualify for a Low Income Health Care Card?

To qualify for a Low Income Health Care Card, you must

In most cases, your eligibility for a Low Income Card will be assessed through the Youth Allowance or Austudy online claim form. However, if you are lodging an early claim for Youth Allowance (i.e. in anticipation that you will qualify for Youth Allowance on your 16th birthday), you may be asked to lodge a claim for a Health Care Card when you turn 16. You will not be entitled to a Low Income Card if you apply before your 16th birthday and all income must be provided for the eight weeks immediately before your birthday.

If you are a secondary student under 19 years of age and your parent/s are receiving Family Tax Benefit for you, you will not be entitled to a Low Income Card.

If your parents stop receiving Family Tax Benefit for you, you will no longer be covered by their Health Care Card. This means you will need to claim a Low Income Card of your own to access Commonwealth concessions.

If your partner has a Health Care Card, you may be able to use their card to access Commonwealth concessions.

Gross Income

This is your total income before tax is deducted.

Your eligibility for a Low Income Card is based on your average weekly assessable income for the eight weeks immediately before claiming. The eight week assessment period ends on the new claim date.

For example: if you lodge a claim on the 1 December 2004, then you must provide the last eight weeks of income that you have earned. The eight week period up until your new claim date of 1 December 2004 would be from 6 October 2004 to 1 December 2004.

Income component Help

Important Note: You do not need to include income from financial investments (bank accounts, shares etc.) Which you have already told us about in this claim