Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) - Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A threshold 011-43080030

The EMSN FTB Part A threshold is:

• a lower threshold amount for registered MSN families that get a Centrelink FTB Part A payment
• indexed by the Consumer Price Index on 1 January each year

See Table 1 on the Resources page in Medicare Safety Net thresholds for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold amount for the current and previous year.

Registered MSN families that get FTB Part A payments from Centrelink may be eligible for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold. How and when a customer chooses to receive their Centrelink FTB Part A payment determines their family MSN start date for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold.

Customers getting FTB Part A that are not registered as a MSN family are not eligible for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold. They are eligible for the EMSN general threshold as an individual.

See Table 1 on the Process page in Medicare Safety Net thresholds for how to check what threshold a registered MSN family is on.

Eligibility for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold starts when the family:

• has registered as a family for the MSN, and
• gets an eligible FTB Part A payment from Centrelink

FTB Part A payment information is electronically sent from Centrelink to Medicare. The date a customer becomes eligible for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold depends on how and when they receive the FTB Part A payment.

Customers can choose to receive their FTB Part A Centrelink payments as:

• A lump sum payment- made after the end of the relevant financial year, where FTB entitlement is calculated once actual income details are available
• Fortnightly instalments- payments made on a fortnightly basis based on the customer's annual family income estimate. The customer's correct FTB Part A entitlement is calculated after the end of the financial year during the FTB reconciliation process

Once a family becomes eligible for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold, they are eligible for the remainder of that calendar year. That is, even if FTB Part A payments stop during that calendar year.

Customers receiving a fortnightly payment (including zero rate) may receive a top-up payment as part of the reconciliation process after the end of the financial year once their actual income is known. This is not a lump sum payment and should not be considered when determining the start date for eligibility to the EMSN FTB Part A threshold.

Customers will continue to be eligible for the FTB Part A threshold for the remainder of that calendar year if a family:

• is receiving fortnightly instalments of FTB Part A, and
• changes their payment choice to zero rate during the calendar year to get their entitlement at the end of the financial year

The customer will not be eligible for the FTB Part A threshold starting 1 January of the next calendar year.

Centrelink only advise Medicare of the first time a recipient receives or defers an FTB Part A payment in each calendar year. Notification of further payments are not shared with Medicare if a family is receiving regular (fortnightly) payments from Centrelink.

Note:

• Centrelink FTB Part A payments are based on financial years
• MSN is based on calendar years

The Resources page contains more details about payment choices and eligibility to the EMSN FTB Part A threshold.

Service Officers:

• may get enquiries from a customer when their MSN does not reflect they are on the EMSN FTB Part A threshold. This may be due to the:
• data not having matched correctly, or
• FTB Part A Centrelink payment not providing eligibility to the EMSN FTB Part A threshold
• can check the family's EMSN FTB Part A threshold eligibility status via:
• CDMS by selecting Medicare Safety Net from the Program dropdown menu
• accessing the FTB Part A Entitlement Enquiry (RFTB) in Mainframe

When checking if a registered MSN family is on the FTB Part A threshold, use CDMS in the first instance to determine what threshold the family is on.

See Table 1 on the Process page in Medicare Safety Net thresholds for how to check what threshold a registered MSN family is on.

If the customer advises they are eligible for FTB Part A threshold but this is not reflected in CDMS, Service Officers must:

• complete the Medicare Safety Net escalation form, and
• email Medicare Consumers Program Support

The Resources page has a link to:

• Medicare Safety Net escalation form
• Medicare Consumers Program Support

PBS RFTB screens in Mainframe

Service Officers can use the RFTB screens through the PBS Patient Enquiries (RPQN) menu in mainframe if:

• the family's threshold does not show the FTB Part A threshold in CDMS, and
• more investigation or clarification is needed

These screens display FTB Part A payments for the specified:

• customer reference number (CRN), or
• Medicare card number

The RFTB screen is an enquiry only screen.

The Process page contains details about how to access and search the RFTB screen.

The Resources page contains details about:

• RPQN PBS preference help messages, and
• PBS preference error messages

Note:

• Centrelink sends data to Medicare relating to FTB Part A payments
• only details of the recipient of a FTB Part A payment are sent to Medicare. Medicare match this to the registered MSN family
• if the recipient of a FTB Part A payment is not in a registered MSN family, their out of pocket (OOP) expenses only accumulate to their individual EMSN General threshold

If a FTB Part A payment is made after the eligible MSN calendar year, eligibility for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold cannot be backdated. Therefore, no MSN benefits are payable for that calendar year even if the family has met the EMSN FTB Part A threshold.

For example, Anna submitted her 2022/2023 tax return on 1 February 2025. She received the FTB Part A payment on 1 April 2025. As the eligible MSN year (2024) has already passed Anna is not eligible for the EMSN FTB Part A threshold for 2024.

A registered MSN family's out of pocket (OOP) expenses contribute towards reaching the EMSN FTB Part A threshold. Once the registered MSN family members have been confirmed and the threshold is reached the family is entitled to MSN benefits for the rest of the calendar year for eligible services.

Payment of MSN benefits under the EMSN FTB Part A threshold starts when a family has met all the following criteria:

• registered as a family for the MSN
• eligible for the FTB Part A threshold
• have confirmed their family registration for that year, and
• reached the EMSN FTB Part A threshold

Customers registered as a family for MSN get:

• 80% of the OOP expense incurred, or
• the EMSN benefit cap for the MBS item claimed, see Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN)

See Table 1 in Medicare Safety Net thresholds for details about how to view a family’s OOP expenses.