Confirming concession card entitlement and issuing an interim voucher (temporary concession card) 101-06070000

A customer may contact to request a replacement of their current concession card be mailed out to them, or an interim voucher (temporary concession card) in person. The Service Officer must ensure they ask the customer why they need a replacement card or an interim voucher (temporary concession card) as the reason must be coded.

If the customer with entitlement to a concession card is contacting to:

• request an interim voucher (temporary concession card) for a non-custodial parent, go to Step 2
• check why they have had difficulties when attempting to access concessional rates at service providers, go to Step 3
• request an interim voucher (temporary concession card), go to Step 5
• reissue a concession card only, go to How to reissue concession cards. Procedure ends here.

A customer who is a custodial parent with entitlement to a concession card can contact to request an additional concession card for the non-custodial parent.

Note: take extreme care to ensure the privacy of the custodial parent is not breached. Do not provide any details about the custodial parent to the non-custodial parent. See Authenticating a Centrelink customer. In cases of Family and domestic violence or other sensitive family circumstances, a social worker may be required to facilitate the provision of the interim voucher (temporary concession card) to the non-custodial parent.

Is the custodial parent contacting to request an interim voucher (temporary concession card) for the non-custodial parent?

• Yes. If the custodial parent is contacting via:
• smart centre, tell the customer to collect an interim voucher (temporary concession card) from their local service centre. The customer must supply one piece of photographic identification to verify their identity. Be aware of privacy considerations, especially if the customer is experiencing family and domestic violence. Record details of the advice given to the customer on a DOC. Procedure ends here
• service centre, go to Step 6
• No, if the non-custodial parent is contacting, Service Officers must ensure that the custodial parent has provided consent. If the custodial parent has not provided consent, do not issue the interim voucher (temporary concession card). Procedure ends here

Go to the Medicare Number Details (MND) screen to check the customer’s Medicare card number has been recorded.

See Recording Medicare card numbers for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Medicare Safety Net.

The customer's residence qualification will be automatically assessed if the residence information is correctly recorded.

Activate the Immigration datalink and ensure the residency details are up to date.

Go to Task Selector > Confirm concession entitlement to view current and historical concession entitlement details.

Expand the displayed card to show the dependants listed on the card

Go to Step 4.

Go to Task Selector > Confirm concession entitlement:

• when the Concession entitlement correspondence screen displays, select a valid concession card > select Refresh
• for the Would you like to issue Concession entitlement correspondence? question, select:
• No, if a letter is not needed
• Yes - print centrally, for a letter to issue overnight
• Yes - print locally, to print and give to the customer immediately. Note: this option is not available for customers who have a correspondence nominee
• the concession entitlements will refresh and will re-transmit relevant data overnight to Medicare Australia (and subsequently be available to pharmacies)
• select Submit to display the Successfully refreshed entitlements for the concession card message
• an auto Note/DOC will generate advising the concession has been refreshed

Does the customer require an interim voucher (temporary concession card)?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, procedure ends here

An interim voucher (temporary concession card):

• may be issued to the customer while waiting for their original or replacement card to arrive in the mail
• should not be issued to a customer in a different name to that recorded on the system. The system defaults to display the recorded current LGL name on a concession card

Note: before attempting to print Locally from Customer First or Process Direct, ensure that the user’s default printer is correct on the User's Profile (OAUP) screen. If the local printer is not listed, it will not print the interim voucher (temporary concession card).

In Process Direct, check these screens:

• Customer Person Detail Summary (CPDS) for the current legal (LGL) name recorded. See Aliases and other names (legal, preferred, sex and gender diverse customers, cultural considerations etc) and make any updates before issuing a replacement card or interim voucher (temporary concession card), and
• Concession Entitlement Summary (MCCS) to view entitlement details. The priority concession for the customer is listed first

Go to the Concession Card Issue Summary (CCIS) screen:

• select the correct card for reissue if the customer has multiple cards
• select Record Interim Voucher
• on the Interim Voucher screen, in these fields:
• Serial Number, key PRINT
• Start Date (DD/MM/YYYY), will pre populate
• Expiry Date (DD/MM/YYYY) will pre populate. Default is 14 days. Can be extended for up to a maximum of 3 months from date of issue, subject to expiry date
• Reason for issue/reissue, select relevant dropdown option
• select Save

Refresh the CCIS page by clicking in the Superkey field > [Enter].

Collect the printed interim voucher (temporary concession card) from the local printer.

Service Officers must ensure:

• the interim voucher (temporary concession card) is:
• signed by the Service Officer and customer, and
• date stamped on the appropriate card illustration
• a DOC is recorded on the Document List (DL)

If the customer also requires a replacement concession card, see How to reissue concession cards.

In Customer First, check these screens:

• Customer Person Detail Summary (CPDS) for the current legal (LGL) name recorded. See Alias and other names and make any updates before issuing a replacement card or interim voucher (temporary concession card), and
• Concession Entitlement Summary (MCCS) to view entitlement details. The priority concession for the customer is listed first

Go to the Concession Card Issue Summary (CCIS) screen:

• select the correct card for reissue if the customer has multiple cards
• select Record Interim Voucher
• on the Concession Card options screen, in these fields:
• Reason for issue/reissue, select relevant dropdown option
• Interim Voucher Valid From, key the determined date
• Interim Voucher Valid To, key the determined date. Default is 14 days. Can be extended for up to a maximum of 3 months from date of issue, subject to expiry date
• Interim Voucher Serial Number - Separate by return, key PRINT to send the interim voucher to be printed locally
• Source and DOR, complete and
• select Issue

If the interim voucher (temporary concession card) has not automatically printed:

• go to the History Summary (HS) screen and locate the COMSS055 letter, and
• send the letter to Local Print

Service Officers must ensure:

• the interim voucher (temporary concession card) is:
• signed by the Service Officer and customer, and
• date stamped on the appropriate card illustration
• a DOC is recorded on the Document List (DL)

The printed interim voucher (temporary concession card) will be recorded on the system and no further action is required.

If a system failure or declared emergency situation results in no print facility available, go to Step 6.

If the customer also requires a replacement concession card, see How to reissue concession cards.

Otherwise, procedure ends here.

If the print option does not work in both Process Direct and Customer First and User Profiles have been checked and are correct, Service Officers must:

• first verify the customer's current concession entitlement via the Concession Entitlement Summary (MCCS) screen
• issue a manual Confirmation of Concession Card Entitlement (SS055) form when:
• issuing an interim voucher (temporary concession card) on behalf of a custodial parent to a non-custodial parent
• a system failure or declared emergency situation results in no print facility available to staff
• complete the SS055 accountable form by hand. The Financial Management Compliance System (FMCS) officer has stocks of the SS055 accountable form when a voucher is required
• ensure only the appropriate card illustration is date stamped and all applicable boxes on the form are filled
• the Date of Grant of concession card can be found on the MCCS screen
• record the appropriate information on the SS055
• Note: for interim vouchers (temporary concession cards) for non-custodial parents, exclude for both custodial and non-custodial parent:
• Customer’s name
• Customer’s residential address
• Payment type
• Name of partner
• Customer Reference Number (CRN)(partner’s)
• include the name and CRN of the child/ren and ‘For Child Use Only’ to be written in the address field. The custodial parent must specify which eligible children are to appear on the interim voucher (temporary concession card)
• tell the customer the Please note provisions at the bottom of the SS055 and that they must sign the SS055 immediately
• the Service Officer must then sign the SS055 before issuing the completed form to the customer
• record the details on a DOC

Procedure ends here.