No, postponed premium increases are for private health insurance policies only.

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

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 is available for members with extras cover that includes psychology, and who are: 

• undergoing an existing course of treatment, and have seen the psychologist providing the teleconsultation over the past six months, or; 
• new patients and have had telepsychology services recommended by their GP (members will not be required to provide proof of their general practitioner’s recommendation). 
• excludes any psychology consultations that form part of a mental health plan that Medicare benefits are payable.  
• the service is delivered until further notice; and 
• the service is undertaken in accordance with Australian Psychological Society guidelines, and 
• the patient has eligible extras product cover for psychology. 
• subject to any waiting periods and annual limits 

The benefits we'll pay towards telehealth consultations will be the same as face-to-face consultations. For eligible Medibank extras members. Subject to any waiting periods and annual limits.

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

All other new telehealth services including Psychology Dietetics, Speech pathology, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Podiatry and Exercise Physiology will have benefits paid for services delivered from the 30th March until further notice and not before then. 

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

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

You should always consult a trusted health care professional before making decisions about your health care. The information we’ve provided about these telehealth services is not health care advice and isn’t tailored to meet your individual health care needs.

For the most up-to-date information and advice, please visit the Department of Health and relevant state and territory health department websites.

The Australian Government's Coronavirus app is also a great resource to stay up to date with official information and advice about the situation. You can check your symptoms and get notified when urgent information and updates are published.

Medibank’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Linda Swan, will also provide regular health information updates on this webpage that will best assist our members through this difficult period, including:

• New information on groups that may be at high risk of infection
• What to do if you’re feeling unwell
• Preventative advice to protect yourself and loved ones
• Information on self-isolation requirements
• Links and contact details of relevant health services
• Helpful advice and tips to help you cope during this time

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.

Put simply, good hygiene and physical distancing.

Good hygiene

Practising good hygiene is one of the most effective ways to protect against infection and prevent the spread of coronavirus.  All of us have a role to play in maintaining high standards to protect our own health and the health of each other.  These measures include:

• covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue

• disposing of tissues properly

• washing your hands often with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet

• using alcohol-based hand sanitisers

• cleaning and disinfecting surfaces

Physical distancing

Another way to protect the community is physical distancing, which is essentially reducing the contact you have with other people.  It includes:

• staying at home if you are unwell, and avoiding close contact with anyone who is unwell

• avoiding large public gatherings if they’re not essential

• keeping a distance of 1.5 metres between you and other people whenever possible

• minimising physical contact, especially with people at higher risk such as older people and people with existing health conditions 

Self-isolation

Self-isolation means you must stay at home for 14 days. You must self-isolate if you have COVID-19, or you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. The Australian Government has prepared some information around what this means and the advice you should follow.

If you’re experiencing any one of the symptoms of COVID-19, please get tested. 

It’s one of the ways we can slow the spread, protect loved ones and vulnerable members of our community. To meet the urgent need, more testing centres have been set up around Victoria. You can find your nearest testing centre here.

Avoiding the risk of COVID-19 shouldn’t come at the expense of other health concerns. If you have any upcoming medical or health treatments, please get in touch with your practitioner to see if the new restrictions will change your treatment. It’s also a good time to ask them what safety precautions they may have in place before your visit. 

With the Australian Government regularly updating their advice on travelling in and out of Australia, we are continuing to work through the implications for our Travel Insurance members.

We’ve prepared some answers to some of your commonly-asked questions which you can read here:

Important Information Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Travel Insurance

To ensure there are enough resources to help the most vulnerable Victorians in aged care, all non-urgent category 2 and all category 3 elective surgeries, across public and private hospitals in Melbourne and regional Victoria, will be paused.

In all other states, elective surgeries are continuing as normal in the private system. 

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.

To support customers during the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve temporarily expanded our coverage to pay benefits towards heart, kidney, lung and chest hospital admissions, regardless of your existing level of hospital cover (waiting periods apply).  This includes members with Basic and Bronze levels of cover where these services are currently excluded or restricted.

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).

Please check with your hospital. If you do go to hospital, COVID-19 Health Assist can support you before and after your treatment.

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 where signs or symptoms existed any time during the six months before you either took out your new cover, or transferred to a higher level of cover.

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. 

Regardless of a members’ level of existing hospital cover, Medibank will pay benefits towards chest, heart, lung and kidney hospital admissions, including those related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) until the crisis passes. 

If you are admitted to hospital and treated as a private patient, Medicare and Medibank will pay benefits towards diagnostic services included in your policy (e.g. blood tests, x-rays, scans and ultrasounds) up to the MBS fee (the set government fee).

If you’re charged more than the MBS fee, you may have an out-of-pocket cost. GapCover doesn’t apply to diagnostics.

As always, if you require hospitalisation, then please call our Hospital Assist team on 1800 789 414 who can support you before and after treatment.

The hospital you're admitted to will submit their claim directly to Medibank.

As for your doctor's fees:

• If your doctor uses Medibank’s GapCover, they'll bill us directly.
• If your doctor doesn’t use Gap Cover, they will bill you directly. You will need to lodge the bill with Medicare using what is called a two-way claim form. This is the quickest and easiest way to claim from both Medicare and Medibank.

If you're a member on an Overseas Workers or Overseas Visitors Health Cover, your medical services can't be claimed online. Please mail your receipts directly to Medibank with a completed claim form.

Medibank Private Limited

GPO BOX 2984

MELBOURNE VIC 3001

We are very mindful that the current situation with COVID-19 may place some customers under financial pressure, which is why we're introducing an intial support package.

Regardless of your level of existing hospital cover, Medibank will pay benefits towards chest, heart, lung and kidney hospital admissions, including those related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) until the crisis passes.

We have also introduced a financial hardship policy, which includes suspension to customers’ policies.

We would encourage people who are suffering financial hardship to contact us so we can review your cover options.

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

With the exception of the pause on all non-urgent category 2 and all category 3 elective surgeries in Victoria, private elective surgeries in all other states are continuing as normal.

We recommend you speak with your specialist or hospital for specific information about your upcoming admission.

Understandably, 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 and any potential financial pressures. 

You may find it worthwhile to visit Beyond Blue for some very helpful information to help look after your mental health.

More testing centres are now open. 

Many states have increased their testing capabilities, with more and more testing centres opening around Australia. So, if you have any symptoms, please find the nearest centre https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/coronavirus-covid-19-gp-respiratory-clinics

Our experience over the last few months has shown that when we work together, we can achieve anything. 

In order to return safely to our normal daily routines, we need to increase the community’s ability to track and contain any future COVID-19 outbreaks. The Health Department’s COVIDSafe app is designed to do just that; by tracing the possible movements of COVID-19 and helping to alert people who’ve been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 

You can find more information at https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app

So far, our joint efforts to follow public health advice have resulted in flattening the curve and easing restrictions, including those for elective surgeries. Extras providers such as dentists are also re-opening, ensuring your day-to-day health needs can continue to be met.

While we’ll always continue to support the health and wellbeing of our members during this difficult time, we believe a greater uptake of the COVIDSafe app will pave the way for making more health support services available.

Dental practices have reopened and are taking appointments, but please contact your dentist directly to check availability.  

Please note, from 15 July 2020, some dental procedures will be restricted in Victoria, due to the recent spikes in COVID-19 in that state. If you have an upcoming dental procedure in Victoria, please call your dental practice to see how this may affect your appointment.

You can check what’s in your cover, including your limits, on My Medibank.

If you’re not yet registered with My Medibank, head to members.medibank.com.au or search ‘Medibank’ in the App Store or Google Play and fill out your details to join.

It’s the simplest and quickest way to manage your health cover anytime, anywhere. 

Yes, Medibank and ahm will pay benefits towards one-on-one psychology consultations via telehealth from 30 March 2020 until further notice.

This is available for members with extras cover that includes psychology and who are:

• undergoing an existing course of treatment, and have seen the psychologist providing the teleconsultation over the past six months, or;
• new patients and have had telepsychology services recommended by their GP (members will not be required to provide proof of their general practitioner’s recommendation), and · not receiving a benefit from Medicare for the consultation

The benefits will be the same as a face-to-face consultation, and are subject to waiting periods and annual limits

We’re still updating things on our end, so when claiming via My Medibank online or with the My Medibank app please select ‘add service item screen’ and select either:

• Medibank item 100 if your receipt lists item 701
• Medibank item 200 if your receipt lists item 801

We’ll let your payroll department know that they need to hold off on applying any increase to your premium. We also encourage you to follow this up with your payroll department if you notice any discrepancies.

All Victorian Medibank stores will be closed until stay home orders are lifted. 

All other Medibank stores in Australia are open to assist our members, with additional safety measures in place, such as:

• Limits on how many people can be in store at any given time
• Use of hand sanitiser before entry
• Changes in store opening hours

Check out our store locator for current opening hours of our Medibank stores. We look forward to seeing you again!

No restrictions have been imposed on health services or community-based services that require a GP’s referral, but we recommend you call your health provider to confirm their availability during these heightened restrictions. 

As a reminder, many extras services such as psychology and physiotherapy are available to eligible members via telehealth consultations. See here for more information. 

We all hope COVID-19 is relatively short lived and we can go back to normal conditions later in the year. With this in mind, it is important to understand that once a policy is terminated, you may be required to re-serve waiting periods already served. For example, if you have a pre-existing condition (PEC) and cancel your cover, you may need to serve a 12 month waiting period when you re-join. Or if you choose to downgrade your cover now and upgrade when the services is required, you may need to re-serve waiting periods for standard clinical categories not included in the lower cover.  

Whilst elective surgeries have been temporarily cancelled due to COVID-19, your private hospital insurance will still cover you for any urgent admissions, where the service is included or restricted on your policy and you have served any required waiting period. 

Category 1 and some category 2 elective surgeries are still being performed – and for some our customers they will need their cover for those surgeries. 

The most recent advice from the Australian Government is that health services like dentists, optical providers and physiotherapists can remain open at this time. 

We all hope COVID-19 is relatively short lived and we can go back to normal conditions later in the year. By keeping your extras cover, you can continue to access extras services such as dental, optical, physio and psychology, which continue to remain open for business. It also means you'll avoid re-serving waiting periods, which could range from 2 months to 2 years if you were to cancel your policy and then re-join.  

Keeping your Extras cover will also enable you to maintain any loyalty limits and/or life time limits you may have accrued.  

Most providers are open, but this may change at any time, so please contact your health service provider directly to confirm their availability.

As of Wednesday 15 July 2020, some dental procedures will be restricted in Victoria, due to the recent spikes in COVID-19 in that state. If you have an upcoming dental procedure in Victoria, please call your dental practice to see how this may affect your appointment.

It's also worth asking what additional measures they have in place to ensure everyone's safety.

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 generally recommend calling your specialist or admitting hospital about the timing of your elective surgery.

While elective surgeries generally continue as normal in the private system, the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria has resulted in a temporary pause in all non-urgent category 2 and all category 3 elective surgeries in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Your specialist or hospital will be in touch if this change may affect your upcoming admission. 

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.

For all check-up and cleans outside Victoria, yes. But please check directly with your dentist to check their availability, and any safety measures they may have in place.

For Victoria, some restrictions will be in place as of 15 July 2020, so please call your dentist to see how this may affect your appointment.

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