As an expectant parent, there are plenty of things to keep you busy in the lead-up to your new baby’s arrival. From stocking up on supplies and packing your hospital bag, it can be easy to forget about some of the admin tasks that come with welcoming a new addition, like getting them set up with Medicare.
So, if you’re wondering when and how to add your newborn to Medicare, check out our step-by-step guide.
What is Medicare?
Medicare is Australia’s universal health insurance scheme. It provides Australians with access to a wide range of health and hospital services at little to no cost.
Medicare eligibility
Medicare isn’t available for everyone. To enrol in Medicare, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen,
- Be an Australian permanent resident,
- Have applied for permanent residency (some conditions apply),
- Be a temporary resident covered by a ministerial order, and
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of Norfolk Island, Cocos Islands, Christmas Island or Lord Howe Island.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll need to enrol in Medicare before you can take advantage of its services. If you’re expecting a baby, you’ll also need to sign them up to Medicare to access the benefits.
When should I enrol my baby in Medicare?
While there are some government services you can get set up ahead of your baby’s arrival, you’ll need to wait until they’re born to enrol them in Medicare. Although it can be difficult to get organised during the newborn haze, it’s important to make sure you get them set up with Medicare soon after they’re born. The sooner you add them to Medicare, the sooner they’ll be able to use Medicare services and benefits.
How to add your baby to Medicare
To enrol your newborn in Medicare, you’ll need to provide proof of their birth. Your midwife or hospital will provide you with a Newborn Declaration Form after their birth, which you can use as proof of your child’s birth to enrol them in Medicare. You’ll just need to make sure a doctor or midwife signs the last page of the form.
If you lose the Newborn Declaration Form or your child is over 52 weeks and no longer considered a newborn, you’ll need to use their birth certificate to enrol them instead.
Once you have documentation that provides proof of your child’s birth, you can enrol them in Medicare either online through myGov or by completing a Medicare enrolment form. Here’s how.
Enrolling in Medicare online
Step 1. Create a myGov account
While you can’t enrol your newborn in Medicare until they’re born, you can get organised by creating a myGov account and linking it to your Medicare in the lead-up to their arrival. myGov is a secure online platform that provides centralised access to a range of government online services, including Medicare.
To create a myGov account, follow the steps here. You might also want to take the time to download the Express Plus Medicare mobile app. That way you can manage you and your newborns Medicare accounts on the go.
Step 2. Complete the Newborn Child Declaration Form
After the birth of your child, your hospital or midwife will provide you with a Newborn Child Declaration Form as part of your Parent Pack. The form will already include your baby’s details, including their name, date of birth and hospital information. From here, you’ll just need to make sure you and the other parent complete your sections of the form, making sure a doctor or midwife signs the last page of the form.
Step 3. Submit via the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
Log in to the Express Plus Medicare mobile app using your myGov credentials. Navigate to the Services dropdown menu and select Enrol a newborn. As part of the application process, you’ll be asked whether you intend to claim family assistance payments. Depending on your intention to claim, you may be redirected to Centrelink to make a family payment claim, in which case your newborn will be enrolled as part of this process.
Complete the application and upload the supporting documentation. Before you submit the application, be sure to review the details to make sure everything is correct.
Step 4. Wait for processing
Once your application has been submitted, Medicare will process the enrolment. This typically takes up to 14 business days.
Once approved, you’ll be able to view your updated digital Medicare card by selecting the My Card menu. As for your physical Medicare card, it can take up to four weeks to receive your new card.
Step 5. Check status
You can monitor the progress of the enrolment through the MyGov account or the Express Plus Medicare app.
Enrolling in Medicare via a form
If you’re not able to enrol your newborn in Medicare online or via the app, you can get them set up by completing and submitting a form.
Step 1. Complete the Newborn Declaration Form
Regardless of whether you decide to enrol your newborn online or using a form, you’ll still need to fill out the Newborn Declaration Form as proof of birth. If both parents are enrolled in Medicare, both will need to complete and sign the relevant sections of the form.
Step 2. Choose your submission method
When you enrol your newborn using a form, you can choose to submit your form by mail, email or in person by visiting a Centrelink service centre.
If you email the form, be sure to include ‘Medicare enrolment’ in the subject line.
Step 3. Provide the correct supporting documentation
As part of the enrolment process, you’ll also need to provide supporting documentation.
If you’re emailing your application, you’ll need to make sure the documents are:
- In PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP format,
- Not password protected, or in a WinZip or RAR file,
- No larger than 5MB for each document, and
- No larger than 10MB in total for all the documents.
If you haven't provided the Newborn Child Declaration Form, you’ll need to submit additional proof of birth documents like the birth certificate or a hospital letter.
Step 4. Wait for processing
Once you’ve submitted your application, it usually takes around 14 business days to process the enrolment.
Once processed, your baby will be enrolled in Medicare and you’ll receive a new Medicare card with your baby’s name added to your card.
Creating a My Health Record
While you’re in the process of enrolling your newborn in Medicare, you might also like to create a My Health Record for them at the same time. This digital health record helps store important medical information, such as immunisations, doctor visits, allergy information and prescriptions, all in one place.
Registering them for a My Health Record is simple, you can either:
- Indicate your consent to the creation of a My Health Record for your newborn while completing the Newborn Declaration Form, or
- Check the box that indicates your agreement to the creation of a My Health Record as part of the online Medicare enrolment process.
If you need more information or you’d like a hand enrolling your newborn in Medicare, please refer to the Services Australia site.
