MEDICARE ENTITLEMNT STATEMENT

  1. WHAT IS IT
    • If you weren’t eligible for Medicare, you might be exempt from paying the Medicare levy in your tax return.
    • You need the statement to apply for the Medicare levy exemption in your tax return. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will decide if you need to pay the Medicare levy.
    • You must get a new statement each year you claim a Medicare levy exemption. Just because you claimed the exemption before, doesn’t mean you’ll get it every year.                              
  2. WHO CAN GET THE MEDICARE EXEMPTION STATEMENT
    • You can get a statement if you weren’t eligible for Medicare for all or part of a financial year, ie:
      • an Australian permanent resident and lived outside Australia for 12 months or more
      • a temporary visa holder and you hadn’t applied for permanent residency, excluding temporary resident covered by a Ministerial Order
      • a temporary visa holder, and you’re not eligible for Medicare under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement
      • a New Zealand citizen who spent less than 6 months in Australia within a 12 month period
      • an Australian citizen living overseas for 5 years or more.
  3. HOW TO GET THE MEDICARE  EXEMPTION STATEMENT
    1. Fill in a form “ Application for a Medicare Entitlement Statement form”
    2. Document required :
      • A certified copy of your :
        1. current visa
        2. evidence showing you had applied for permanent residency
        3. evidence showing your application for permanent residency had been refused or withdrawn
        4. evidence from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Federal Court or High Court showing you appealed the decision to refuse your application for permanent residency
        5. evidence that your appeal for Ministerial Intervention against the decision to refuse your permanent residency application is being considered
        6. European Health Insurance Card or other proof of health insurance AND
      • Your proof of health insurance must show an expiry date if you live in one of these countries:
        1. Italy
        2. the Netherlands
        3. Norway
        4. Belgium
        5. Slovenia.
    3. Emailing your form and supporting documents to MES@serviceaustralia.gov.auor  by post to 
      • Services Australia

        Medicare Entitlement Statement Unit

        GPO Box 9822

        ADELAIDE SA 5001

  4. NOTES :
    • If you have any dependants, you need to consider their circumstances as well as your own to determine if you qualify for an exemption ie , all your dependants were in a Medicare levy exemption category for that period
    • Dependants for Medicare levy exemption
      • your spouse
      • your child under 21 years old
      • your child, 21 to 24 years old receiving full-time education at a school, college or university whose adjusted taxable income for the period was less than the total of $282 plus $28.92 for each week you maintained them.

Ref : 

  1. Medicare Levy Exemption, ATO  < https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-levy/Medicare-levy-exemption/> 
  2.  Medicare Entitlement Statement , < https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-entitlement-statement> 
  3. Temporary resident covered by a Ministerial Order < https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/how-enrol-and-get-started-medicare/enrolling-medicare/if-youre-temporary-resident-covered-ministerial-order>