Every state and territory will have their own advice and regulations in place, so we recommend calling your health provider to check their COVID-safe practices before an appointment. There may even be a telehealth option for your consultation.

Now is an important time to keep to our health checks and appointments with health professionals to help prevent and manage any ongoing health issues during this difficult and stressful time.

Elective surgery restrictions will vary from state to state, so we recommend calling your treating specialist or hospital to check if your elective surgery is impacted, if they haven’t contacted you already.

If you have eligible hospital cover and are either going to hospital or you have recently been discharged, our Hospital Assist service is here for you. If you have any concerns about your hospital stay, please don’t wait, you can call us on 1800 789 414.

If you are admitted to a public hospital and treated as a public patient, your treatment is fully covered by Medicare and you don’t have to use your private health insurance. In fact, you may end up paying extra if you do use your private cover (for instance, if your policy includes an excess).

During this time, it’s more important than ever that you feel supported in any decisions involving your health. So please don’t hesitate to call us on 1800 789 414. 

Please note: this is not applicable to Overseas Health Cover policy holders.

Determined by a Medibank-appointed Medical Practitioner, a Pre-Existing Condition (PEC) is an ailment, illness or condition that, in the opinion of a Medical Practitioner appointed by Medibank, the signs or symptoms of which existed at any time in the six-month period ending on the day on which the member became insured under the policy or changed their cover.

If you’re a new member, you’ll have to wait 12 months before you can receive benefits for items or services included on your cover that relate to a pre-existing condition.

If you’re changing to a higher level of cover (either within Medibank or from another fund), you may have to wait 12 months to receive the higher benefits, including benefits for services not previously covered.

If you are admitted to hospital and treated as a private patient, you may have some out-of-pocket expenses. 

For treatments included under your policy, Medicare and Medibank will jointly cover the cost of each MBS-listed item that was provided in your treatment, up to the MBS fee (the set government fee). 

However, if your treating doctors choose to charge more than the MBS fee, you may have to pay the gap amount as an out-of-pocket cost. Read more about how Medibank’s GapCover scheme can help reduce some of these out-of-pocket costs. 

Also, keep in mind that some private hospitals charge an emergency department facility fee. Because this is generally a fee that the hospital charges an outpatient, it isn’t usually covered by private health hospital insurance. 

And if your policy includes an excess, then this is also payable by you. 

These are stressful and uncertain times. Even if you don't feel ill, you may still find it difficult to cope with things like social distancing, lockdowns and any potential financial pressures. 

You may find it worthwhile to visit the Medibank Better Minds website for some helpful advice, guidance and support for your mental health needs.

We encourage people who are suffering financial hardship to call us on 132 331 so we can talk through your options.

Please note: this is not applicable to Overseas Health Cover policy holders.

The symptoms of COVID-19 to look out for include:

• Fever
• Runny nose
• Sore throat 
• Coughing
• Chills or sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Loss in sense of taste or smell 

If you’re feeling any one of these symptoms, please make sure you get tested as soon as possible.

Most importantly, if you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing, call 000 for urgent medical help.

• Get vaccinated - it’s one of the most important and effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19, and protect our loved ones.

• Get tested if you feel unwell and self-isolate until you’re given the all-clear.

• Keep up good hygiene.

• Wear masks – in line with your state and territory public safety orders.

• If you do have COVID-19 or you’ve been identified as a close contact, make sure you isolate in your home and follow state or territory public health advice.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, such as a runny nose, sore throat, coughing, fever, loss of taste or smell, please get tested as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about getting tested, call the National COVID-19 Helpline on 1800 020 080 or call your GP. Check the links below for the nearest COVID-19 testing clinic in your state or territory:

ACT — covid19.act.gov.au

QLD — covid19.qld.gov.au

NT — coronavirus.nt.gov.au

NSW — nsw.gov.au/covid-19

SA — covid-19.sa.gov.au

TAS — coronavirus.tas.gov.au

VIC — dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

WA — healthywa.wa.gov.au

Unfortunately, benefits will not be payable for face masks that are purchased to avoid contracting COVID-19 (or any other ailment) under any private health cover. 

We recommend you contact your provider directly to find out if, and when, they will be offering this service. 

Benefits will only be paid towards dental and orthodontic treatments that are administered in person (not via phone or online), by a recognised provider.

Eligible Medibank extras members have the choice of face-to-face or telehealth consultations - the benefits we'll pay towards either type of consultation will be the same.

Check your cover summary to see if these services are included on your extras cover and if any waiting periods or annual limits apply.   

Benefits will only be paid towards dental and orthodontic treatments that are administered in person (not via phone or online), by a recognised provider.

There are a few ways you can claim. The easiest way is with My Medibank, either online or via app.  

To claim online, members with eligible extras need to register their details at members.medibank.com.au and follow the prompts. Or for the app, they need to search ‘My Medibank’ in the App Store of Google Play and follow the instructions.   

This form will enable Medibank to determine if you are eligible to receive assistance through our Member Support Package.

To process your financial hardship application, Medibank will collect certain information about you (including the information described above). Medibank will use this information to confirm your eligibility and contact you to discuss your application.  We may be unable to process your application without this information.

Our privacy policy (available at: https://www.medibank.com.au/privacy/) has further information about how we handle personal information, how you can seek to access to or correct your information, or how to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Accepted documentation to support your hardship claim can include:

• JobSeeker Payment - previously called NewStart
• Austudy / Abstudy
• Youth Allowance
• Sickness Allowance
• Parenting Payment
• Document from employer confirming Jobkeeper payment

While it is a potential side effect, there is a very low chance of developing a blood clot from a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Find out more about the risk of blood clots after a COVID-19 vaccination here

Please consult with your GP or health practitioner if you have any concerns.

Please refer to the joint statement here, from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

The approved COVID-19 vaccines have undergone a thorough assessment in Australia.

Because of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and developers worldwide are prioritising the development of a vaccine.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) were engaged much earlier with vaccine developers and pharmacy companies checking trials in real-time rather than at the end of clinical trial phases, which helped to accelerate the review process.

Find out more about the approval process at health.gov.au

The Federal Government has developed the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker so you can find out when and where you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. Even if you’re fit and healthy, you can still get COVID-19 and spread it to others, which can be particularly dangerous to loved ones with pre-existing conditions and illnesses.

You may also experience long-term side effects from being unwell – this is called ‘Long COVID’ or ‘Long Haulers’. If this happens you might experience symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and chest pain.

The COVID-19 vaccine will help protect you and others from getting really sick or dying from COVID-19, and if we can achieve a high vaccination rate within the community it’s likely to reduce number of outbreaks, and the need to utilise border closures and travel restrictions as preventative public health measures.

It’s important to note that the vaccine won’t entirely eliminate the chance of getting COVID-19, but the severity of the infection may be reduced compared with not being vaccinated. 

You may experience some side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, like soreness or redness where you received your needle, mild fever or headache. Some people may experience more significant flu-like symptoms. Most side effects last no more than a couple of days.

Serious reactions such as allergic reactions are rare. They usually occur within 15 minutes of receiving a vaccine, which is why you are asked to wait for this time period after receiving your vaccination.

Use the COVID-19 vaccine side effects symptom checker if you have concerns about any symptoms after your vaccine. The checker is also available through the National Coronavirus Helpline, 1800 020 080, 24 hours a day.

You can also find out more information here.

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