Commonwealth Seniors Health Card Fact Sheet:
What benefits does it provide?
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Discounts on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription medicines.
Discount or concession on bulk billed doctor appointments, at doctor’s
discretion.
- Cheaper out of hospital medical expenses through the Medicare Safety Net.
- Concessional rail travel on Great Southern Rail services, such as The Indian Pacific, The Ghan,
and The Overland.
- In some instances, extra health, household, transport, education and recreation concessions
that are offered by state or territory and local governments and private businesses.
- Seniors supplement to help pay regular bills such as energy, rates, phone and motor vehicle
registration.
Am I eligible?
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Australians aged 65 or older who do not qualify for the Age Pension or a Department of
Veterans’ Affairs pension.
- Must have an annual adjusted taxable income of less than $51,500 for singles and $82,400
for couples combined.
- If a couple is separated due to illness, respite care or prison, then the combined income
threshold rises to $103,000.
- The adjusted taxable income limit is increased by $639.60 for each dependent child you care
for.
- Must be living in Australia and must be an Australian resident or the holder of a special
category visa.
- Must be physically present in Australia on the day you lodge a claim and continue to meet
the residence requirements for as long as the card is held.
What’s the hurry before 1 January 2015?
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Superannuation pensions will be reflected in the income test used to determine eligibility for
the card.
- This amount will be determined using a set of deeming rules and will not be the actual
amount received in pension payments.
What are the ‘Grandfathering’ provisions?
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Existing account based pensions will be ‘grandfathered’ and therefore excluded from the
income test provided that:
o That particular pension was in place prior to 1 January 2015;
o The person held a Commonwealth Seniors Card on 31 December 2014; and
o The person has continued to hold the Commonwealth Seniors Card ever since.
Several events can cause the ‘grandfathering’ to be lost, including:
o Rolling over from one super fund to another;
o Consolidating old account based pensions;
o Carrying out a recontribution strategy;
o Losing eligibility to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card for a short while.
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How do I apply?
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Application for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card can be made by following this link
http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/sa296