What is a Medicare card?
Ever wonder what your Medicare card is actually for? When you show healthcare providers your Medicare card, you can receive free or cheaper health services from people such as doctors, specialists and optometrists.
Places you can use your Medicare card include bulk billing doctors, public hospitals and even the pharmacy or chemist where you buy your medicine.
Why do I need my own Medicare card?
You can get your own Medicare card from the age of 15. You can still choose to use your family's Medicare card to see a doctor until you feel you want to become independent.
How do I get / apply for my own Medicare card?
To get your own Medicare card:
* Visit a Medicare office or
* Call Medicare on 13 20 11 or
* Call Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Access Line 1800 556 955 or
* Talk to your healthcare provider or
* Go to www.kidsfamilies.health.nsw and search for 'How to get my own Medicare Card'
Process for getting your own Medicare card:
At a Medicare Office
If you are applying for a Medicare card through a Medicare Office, you need to fill out the form called 'Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare care to another'.
Also you should take 2 forms of identification with you (e.g. birth certificate, student card, driver's licence, passport).
You can also choose to stay on your parent's card and have a copy made to keep with you. You don't need identification to do this. This is called the 'duplicate Medicare card'. You only need to ask your parents or carers to call or visit Medicare to get you your 'duplicate Medicare card'.
By Post
You can download the form from the Human Services Website but you need your identifying documents certified (ask an adult to help you with this) and attached to your form (never post your original documents) .
Once you have done this, post all the information on to:
Medicare
GPO Box 9822
Sydney NSW 2000
Road Map (pdf 814 KB)