As your children grow older they may still remain on your family policy until they turn 21 or, if they are classified as a Student Dependant or Adult Dependant, until they turn 31, provided they're not married or in a de facto relationship. Adult Dependants may be able to be added to your policy for an additional cost.

Call us on 1300 531 726.

If you're on a single membership:

To add a dependant child to your membership you'll need to change from a single to a family or single parent family membership. If you do this within two months from the date of their birth or inclusion in your family unit (e.g. through marriage, adoption or fostering) your child won't have to serve any waiting periods the policy holder has already served. The change must be backdated to the date of birth or the date of inclusion in your family unit and will affect the premiums you’ll need to pay. Where a child is added outside two months, they’ll have to serve all waiting periods applicable to the cover.

If you're on a couple or family membership:

You can add a dependant child to your membership within 12 months of their birth or inclusion into the family unit and they generally won't need to serve any waiting periods the policy holder already served on the membership. This change can be backdated or commence from the date of application or any future date you choose. Where a child is added outside of 12 months, they will be subject to the regular waiting periods.

Adding a dependant child may affect the premiums you’ll need to pay.

In some cases yes, in other cases no. We’ll pay towards services included on your new cover from the date you join if: (i) those services were also included on your cover with your former fund, and (ii) you join us within two months of leaving your former fund, and (iii) you've already served the applicable waiting periods. So, although we'll recognise any waiting periods you've served with your former fund, if you haven't fully served the applicable waiting periods, you'll need to serve the balance with us before you're eligible for benefits.

Additional waiting periods will also apply for any increased benefits, where you have chosen a lower excess, or if you wait more than two months after leaving your former fund before you join Medibank.

Any loyalty bonus or other similar entitlements built up with your former fund (for example, orthodontic entitlements) will not transfer to Medibank. If you transfer to Medibank or to another Medibank cover, any benefits that may have been paid under your previous cover will be taken into account in determining the benefits payable under your new cover.

Although you as the policy holder ‘are responsible' for the membership, your partner (if he or she is also included on the same membership) can (unless you otherwise advise) manage most aspects of the membership too, including (but not limited to): making claims, adding or removing dependants, changing cover and suspending the membership.

However, as the policy holder you're the only one who can remove yourself from the membership or cancel the membership. It's important to be aware that this means we may disclose registered membership details to both of you. If at any time you want to be the only person who can manage the membership or you require further information about the handling of personal information, please call us on 1300 531 726.

A member is simply any person included on a Medibank membership.

A membership is made up of one or more members and can consist of:

• just one person (single membership)
• a couple membership which includes you (the policy holder) and your partner
• single parent family* membership, which includes you and
  • any of your Child Dependants and/or
  • any Student Dependants
• family membership*, which includes you and your partner and
  • any of your Child Dependants and/or
  • any of your Student Dependants
• family with adult children membership option, which can, for an additional cost, extend a single parent or family membership to include any of your children who:
  
  • have reached the age of 21 but are under 31,
  • are not classified as a Student Dependant, and
  • are neither married nor living in a de facto relationship

*Not all membership categories are available on all our products.

The term policy holder refers to the person who is responsible for the membership. This is the person we contact when we need to communicate important information.

For a more detailed explanation of Child Dependants, Student Dependants, and Adult Dependants, check the glossary.