There’s nothing more exciting than welcoming a new addition to the family. Between hospital appointments, planning for maternity leave and setting up a baby room, chances are you’ve already got a lot on your mind, but it’s also essential to make sure you get organised online so everything’s in line ahead of your baby’s arrival.
From setting up your myGov to organising Centrelink and Medicare, check out our guide to help you get organised online.
What online services should I set up for my baby?
Getting set up online with essential online platforms can help streamline your access to services and benefits once your baby arrives. The main platforms you’ll need to have set up for your new baby are myGov, Centrelink and Medicare.
- myGov is an online portal provided by the Australia Government that provides a secure and convenient way to access a range of government services in one place. It acts as a central hub where you can link multiple government agencies, including Centrelink and Medicare, using a single login.
- Centrelink is a government agency that delivers a range of social security payments and services to individuals and families. As part of the Department of Human Services, Centrelink provides financial assistance, support and access to various government services. When you’ve got a baby on the way, it’s often worth checking whether your eligible for support payments, like the Family Tax Benefit or Parental Leave Pay.
- Medicare is Australia’s public healthcare system, providing access to a wide range of medical services, free or at reduced costs, to Australian residents. It covers visits to doctors, specialists and other healthcare providers, as well as hospital care and some prescription medications.
As an expectant parent, there are a number of services and payments that you can arrange in the lead up to your baby’s arrival. That said, you’ll need to wait until they’re here to set up a Medicare account for them. In the meantime, here’s how you can get organised online before your bub makes their entrance.
Services to organise before your baby arrives
Getting organised early can help to lighten the load once your baby arrives. It can often help to check what government support you’re entitled to before getting set up with your online accounts. Here’s how.
What government support is available for parents to be?
As an expectant parent, it can be easy to forget about getting organised online amongst the chaos, but the government offers a range of different supports to new parents and families.
Check to see whether you’re eligible for:
- Parental Leave Pay: Parental Leave Pay provides financial assistance to eligible working parents for up to 22 weeks at the national minimum wage.
- Family Tax Benefit: The Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a two-part payment to help with the cost of raising children.
- Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement: These payments help with the upfront costs of a newborn. They consist of a lump sum payment and an ongoing payment for up to 13 weeks.
While there are a few key government services that you’re likely to deal with when it comes to your child, they all link back to your myGov account, so it can be worth creating an account in the lead-up to having your baby.
Creating a myGov account
myGov is a simple, secure online platform that provides access to a number of government services in one place. As an expectant parent, the two main services you should get yourself set up with are Medicare and Centrelink.
You may already have a myGov account set up, but if not, you can follow these simple steps. Once you’ve got your myGov account up and running, you can link Centrelink, Medicare and other relevant services to your myGov account. That way, you can access everything in one place and track the progress of services and payments through your myGov account.
Register for self-service with Centrelink
The government offers several different payment programs to help with the cost of having a baby, including Parental Leave Pay, the Family Tax Benefit, the Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement. Each of these support payments have their own eligibility requirements, so it can be worth checking whether you’re eligible for any of these payments in the lead-up to having your bub.
In some instances, you can submit a pre-birth claim up to three months before your baby is due. That way, you’ve got plenty of time to get organised in the lead up to your baby’s arrival.
Services to set up once your baby arrives
While there are some payments and services you can get organised before the arrival of your newborn, others, like Medicare, require proof of birth before you can get them set up.
Enrolling your baby in Medicare
By enrolling your baby to Medicare soon after they’re born, you’ll be able to access free or subsidised healthcare, including doctor’s visits and hospital care, cover their immunisations, reduce out of pocket expenses and provide access to specialist care if needed.
While adding your baby to Medicare ensures they have access to healthcare services and benefits, it also allows you to set up a My Health Record for your child. This service provides a secure online summary of their health information, which can be shared with healthcare providers as needed.
Once your baby is born, you’ll be able to set them up with Medicare. They can be listed on two cards, so you can add them to both you and your partner’s Medicare card. This can be done online through your myGov account or by submitting a form directly to Medicare.
Downloading the Express Plus mobile apps
To help you save more time and manage your accounts, you can download Express Plus mobile apps for Centrelink and Medicare. These apps allow you to access your information and complete a range of services from anywhere using your mobile phone.
For more information on getting organised online before your baby arrives, check out the Services Australia website. In the meantime, we also have a range of resources to help you navigate pregnancy and birth.
