Ex-Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card (EHC) 101-06030000

To be qualified for an EHC, the ex-Carer Allowance (CA) care receiver must meet the following:

• had a disability or medical condition that previously qualified their carer for a CA (child) Health Care Card for the care receiver on the day before the child turned 16
• be at least 16 and have not turned 26
• meet residence requirements
• be in Australia when lodging a claim
• have supplied Identity Confirmation
• be a full-time student
• have a current address
• not be imprisoned

Note: the carer does not need to have received CA as a fortnightly payment, only the CA HCC, for their care receiver to be eligible for the EHC.

The partner and/or dependants (if applicable) of the customer are not included on the card.

There are no multiple exclusion rules for the EHC. If a customer has multiple entitlements to a Low Income Health Care Card (LIC), Health Care Card (HCC), or Pension Concession Card (PCC) and an EHC, then more than one can be granted.

EHC cards that have been cancelled due to portability cannot be restored and will need to be reclaimed, see Portability of concession cards.

The EHC is issued in the care receiver's name and is not subject to an income or assets test.

Examples of when an EHC claim may be appropriate for ex-CA care receivers (customers):

• 16-25 year old full-time student has a disability or medical condition that previously qualified their carer for CA (child) on the day before the care receiver turned 16
• 16-18 year old secondary student remains a dependent Family Tax Benefit (FTB) child and they or their parents are not eligible for a HCC or Low Income Health Care Card (LIC)
• 16-25 year old full-time student now qualifies their carer for CA (adult). Unlike CA (child), CA (adult) is not accompanied by a HCC
• 16-25 year old full-time student does not hold a Mobility Allowance HCC

Carers are sent an invitation to request a Carers Child to Adult Online Transfer when their child care receiver turns 15 years and 6 months. Carers of children with a terminal condition are sent an invitation when their care receiver turns 17 years and 9 months, inviting them to transfer payment under child care receiver provisions to payment under adult care receiver provisions.

The letter includes information about the Ex-Carer Allowance Health Care Card.

Online claims

Customers must be registered with myGov and have a linked Centrelink online account. See Claim lodgement of Centrelink claims for more information

Customers can lodge completed claims for EHC up to 3 months before turning 16 years old.

If a customer calls to request assistance with their online claim, Service Officers should use the Customer Online View.

Nominees who have active online account can submit an online claim for principals they are a correspondence nominee for.

Assisted Customer Claims

If the customer is deemed unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim Service Officers can run Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) with the customer to collect and record the claim information. ACC is similar to the online claim workflow and contains the same questions to ask the customer.

See Viewing and processing online and Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for more ACC processing information.

Paper Claim - SS456

If the customer is unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim or an Assisted Customer Claim is unavailable:

• issue an Application for a Health Care Card for former recipients of a Carer Allowance Health Care Card (SS456) form

SS456 lodged at service centres must be checked to ensure each question has been answered, the claim form has been signed, and that all required documents have been provided. If all documents aren’t provided the claim must still be accepted and uploaded to the record.

SS456 claims can be lodged via upload documents service, post and fax.

Claims may be backdated if the ex-CA care receiver received, and paid for, a medical service or treatment. The customer must have been a full-time student and aged between 16 and 25 throughout the entire period from the date of medical service/treatment up to the claim date. Verification of the medical service is required to be able to apply backdating.

Service Officer may backdate EHC claims to the date of medical service or treatment up to 40 weeks prior to the current system date. Claims that need backdating to an earlier date will need to be referred to the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk - Concessions requesting implementation of a manual override.

If granted, customers will be reviewed every year to determine whether they retain entitlement to EHC.

A review activity is created 11 months following the date of initial grant or renewal. This review activity is set to mature on the date of expiry of the current card.

When a customer is selected for review, a letter is issued to them, which advises that:

• their card will be cancelled, and
• they must contact Centrelink if they want to renew their card

If the customer does not contact Centrelink and renew their card before the expiry date, then they do not receive a new card.

A review is needed each year until a customer reaches the age of 26, or loses qualification, whichever event occurs first.

The renewal process for the EHC does not need the lodgement of a form and there is no renewal form for the card. The renewal can be processed based on information provided verbally by the customer. If the customer does not want to provide the information verbally, tell them to complete:

• an online claim for Ex-Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card (EHC), or
• a customised Claim for Ex-Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card (EHC) (SS490). It is issued once First Contact Service Offer (FCSO) is completed, or
• an Application for a Health Care Card for former recipients of a Carer Allowance Health Care Card (SS456). This can be used to renew the card

Renewals can only be processed if the claim is lodged or contact is made within 13 weeks of the previous card’s expiry date. Otherwise, the customer will have to lodge a new claim.

Customers can access their digital wallet in the myGov app or Express Plus Centrelink app to present their concession card using their smart device. Accepting the digital card is at the discretion of the concession provider, so it is important that customers have their physical card with them.