Child born in Australia enrolling in Medicare 011-44120060

As per the Migration Act 1958, a child born in Australia will automatically take on the residency status of the parents.

Where both parents are eligible for Medicare by virtue of 2 different arrangements (for example, one parent is an applicant for permanent residency and the other is a migrant) the child is eligible for Medicare on the same terms as the parent who has the most Medicare cover.

Where only one parent is eligible for Medicare, the child will take on the entitlement status of the parent with Medicare cover.

See Complex eligibility and entitlement type of newborn child enrolments in Medicare for further information.

Eligibility

A child born in Australia with one parent who is an Australian citizen is eligible for Medicare. The child must also be an Australian resident.

Documents required

The following documents are required to enrol a child, a completed:

• Medicare enrolment form (MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• Newborn Child Declaration (FA081) which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife, or
• newborn registration through Medicare online accounts with birth certificate, FA081 or relevant documentation uploaded

The Resources page contains links to the Medicare enrolment form (MS004) and the Newborn Child Declaration (FA081).

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - open
• Entitlement Type - Australian citizen

Eligibility

A child born in Australia with one parent who has permanent residency, is considered an Australian citizen and is eligible for Medicare. The child must also be an Australian resident.

Documents required

The following documents are required to enrol a child, a completed:

• Medicare enrolment form (MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• Newborn Child Declaration (FA081) which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife, or
• newborn registration through Medicare online accounts with birth certificate, FA081 or relevant documentation uploaded

The Resources page contains links to the Medicare enrolment form (MS004) and the Newborn Child Declaration (FA081).

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - open
• Entitlement Type - Australian citizen

Eligibility

When a child born in Australia with one parent who is a New Zealand citizen enrolled in Medicare as a New Zealand citizen, the child will take on the residency status of the parent. The child should be enrolled as a New Zealand citizen. The child does not automatically acquire Australian citizenship by birth unless the parent can provide evidence from the Department of Home Affairs showing that they have been granted a Permanent Resident visa prior to the child’s birth.

Documents required

The following documents are required to enrol a child, a completed:

• Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• Newborn Child Declaration (FA081), which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife or
• newborn registration through Medicare online accounts (MOA) with birth certificate, FA081 or relevant documentation uploaded

The Resources page contains links to the Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and the Newborn Child Declaration (FA081).

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - open
• Entitlement Type - New Zealand Citizen

Note: if the parent can provide evidence from the Department of Home Affairs showing that they have been granted a Permanent Resident visa prior to the child’s birth, then the child’s entitlement will be an Australian citizen.

See Complex eligibility and entitlement type of newborn child enrolments in Medicare.

Eligibility

When a child born in Australia to a parent who is an applicant for permanent residency or protection visa (866), the child is automatically taken to hold the same visa type and conditions held by the parent. Generally, the child will take on the same Medicare eligibility status as the parent.

Documents required

The following documentation is required, a completed:

• Medicare enrolment form (MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• Newborn Child Declaration (FA081) which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife, or
• newborn registration through Medicare online accounts (MOA) with birth certificate FA081 or relevant documentation uploaded
• if the child is over the age of 52 weeks, proof from the Department of Home Affairs that there is an application for permanent residency for the child

Note: Service Officers must check the eligibility status of the parent before enrolling the child especially if they have lodged an appeal against a visa refusal. See Appeal in Progress below for further information.

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - same as parent
• Entitlement Type - same as parent

Appeal in Progress

A customer may have their visa application refused by the Department of Home Affairs. They can appeal this decision with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). They are eligible for Medicare whilst appealing the decision. See Applicants for permanent residency eligibility for Medicare for more information.

A child born in Australia to parent/s who have already lodged an appeal against a visa refusal before the child’s birth, and that decision has not been set aside, cannot be enrolled in Medicare as they are not included in the ongoing appeal process. This is because the child was born after the parent/s process began.

Service Officers must advise the customer to contact the Department of Home Affairs directly to discuss visa options for their child.

Note: Service Officers must not request the AAT letter be updated to include the child’s name. See Escalation process for Medicare Eligibility for more information.

Documents required where an appeal is in progress

When there is an appeal in progress and the newborn child is included in that application, they will be included in the AAT letter. The newborn is eligible to enrol in Medicare whilst the decision is appealed.

To enrol the newborn child in Medicare, the following documentation is required:

• completed Medicare enrolment form ( MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• completed Newborn Child Declaration (FA081) which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife, and
• VEVO print out (if child holds a passport), or
• correspondence (letter or email) from the Department of Home Affairs which confirms the child is the holder of a valid temporary visa, and
• AAT letter that includes the newborn (if there is an appeal against a visa refusal)

Note: staff must check the eligibility status of the parent/s before enrolling the child

The Resources page contains links to the Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and the Newborn Child Declaration (FA081).

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - same as parent
• Entitlement Type - same as parent
• Select Comments and key the below:
• 'AAT letter dated dd/mm/yy, case number, child included

Eligibility

A child born in Australia who has one parent eligible for Medicare by virtue of a Ministerial order under subsection 6(1) of the Act, is eligible for Medicare on the same terms as the parent.

Documents required

The following documents are required to enrol a child, a completed:

• Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• Newborn Child Declaration (FA081), which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife, or
• newborn registration through Medicare online accounts (MOA) with birth certificate, FA081 or relevant documentation uploaded

The Resources page contains links to the Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and the Newborn Child Declaration (FA081).

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - same as parent
• Entitlement Type - same as parent

Eligibility

A child born in Australia who has one parent eligible for Medicare by virtue of being a visitor from a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement country is eligible for Medicare on the same terms as the parent.

Documents required

The following documents are required to enrol a child, a completed:

• Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and birth certificate for the child, or
• Newborn Child Declaration (FA081), which includes the official hospital stamp and the signature by doctor/midwife or
• newborn registration through Medicare online accounts (MOA) with birth certificate, FA081 or relevant documentation uploaded

The Resources page contains links to the Medicare enrolment application form (MS004) and the Newborn Child Declaration (FA081).

Entitlement

• Start Date - date of birth
• End Date - same as parent
• Entitlement Type - same as parent

When a child is born in Australia to parents who are not eligible for Medicare, the child will take on the residency status of the parents and is therefore not eligible for Medicare.

Eligibility

A child born in Australia, who has resided in Australia for 10 years, automatically becomes an Australian citizen on their 10th birthday regardless of the parents' status.

Documents required

The following documents are required to update a child’s entitlement to Australian citizen:

• completed Medicare enrolment form (MS004), and
• child’s birth certificate, and
• child’s Australian citizenship certificate

Entitlement

• Start date - date on Australian citizenship certificate
• End Date - open
• Entitlement Type - Australian citizen

If assistance is required with changing the child’s entitlement type to Australian citizen follow the Escalation process for Medicare Eligibility.

Note: if the child’s Australian citizen entitlement is different to the parent/s’ Medicare entitlement, the child must be transferred to a new Medicare card. An Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another form (MS011) is not required in this instance. A parent will need to be listed as the cardholder on the child’s new Medicare card.