Home > Info > Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

This information originates from the Australian Government’s Department of Human Services website. To check the latest information and advice regarding the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, please refer to their web page,
https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card.

What is the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?

This card gives older Australians cheaper health care and some concessions.

Eligibility basics

You can get a card if you:

have reached pension age
do not qualify for a payment from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and
meet an income test
are an Australian resident currently living in Australia
Read below for information about eligibility, non-income tested card, benefits, income streams, residence requirements and quarterly supplements.

For assistance with applying

Department of Human Services – Casuarina Service Centre
Phone: 13 24 68

50 Bradshaw Terrace, Casuarina NT 0810

Monday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm

Eligibility

You can get a card if you:

have reached age pension age
don’t qualify for a payment from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
meet an income test, and
are an Australian resident currently living in Australia

You must tell us your and your partner’s tax file numbers, unless you are exempt.

Non-income tested card

We may have cancelled your pension on 1 January 2017 because of changes to the pension assets test.

If so, we sent you a non-income tested:

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, or
Low Income Health Care Card

You don’t need to meet the income test for these cards.

Read about the changes to the pension assets test.

Benefits

With your card you can get cheaper medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
bulk billed doctor visits – this is up to your doctor
a bigger refund for medical costs when you reach the Medicare Safety Net

Other benefits

Your state or territory government and local council may offer you more. They may lower your:

electricity and gas bills
property and water rates
health care costs, including ambulance, dental and eye care
public transport fare

Read more about what you can get where you live on the australia.gov.au website.
You can find out more about what you may be able to receive in the Northern Territory in the well-being section of the NT Government website.

You may need to show your:

Medicare card to get Medicare services
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card to get other benefits

Please note: COTA NT is unable to assist you with the preparation of your paperwork, but assistance can be provided by the Department of Human Services.

Income test

You must meet an income test to get the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. We review this test on 20 September each year in line with the Consumer Price Index.

The income test will look at your:

adjusted taxable income
a deemed amount from account based income streams

To pass the income test, you must earn no more than:

$52,796 a year if you’re single
$84,472 a year for couples
$105,592 a year for couples separated by illness, respite care or prison

Add $639.60 to these amounts for each child in your care.

There is no assets test.

Account based income streams

We look at your account based income streams as part of the income test. Account based income streams include account based pensions and account based annuities.

The balance of an account based income stream is subject to deeming. Deeming assumes that financial investments are earning a certain rate of income.

Deeming rules will only apply if:

you bought or changed it on or after 1 January 2015
you own it and your Commonwealth Seniors Health Card was granted after 31 December 2014
your partner owns it and they are 60 years old or more

Read about account based income streams on the Department of Social Services website.

Your adjusted taxable income will be used to assess your eligibility for some payments, supplements, support and benefits.

Residence requirements

To be eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card you must satisfy residence requirements. You must be living in Australia and you must be:

an Australian resident, or
the holder of a special category visa

You must also:

be physically present in Australia on the day you submit your claim, and
continue to meet the residence requirements for as long as you hold this card

Newly arrived residents generally have a 104 week waiting period, with some exemptions.

Quarterly supplement

If you qualify for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, you may choose to get the quarterly supplement.

This is a payment for the Energy Supplement.