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Medicare

Services Australia delivers Medicare and related programs, providing Australians with access to some health services at low or no cost.

Vision and mission

To help Australians access a wide range of health services and affordable health care through Australia’s universal health care system.

How Medicare can help

Medicare helps with the costs of seeing a doctor, getting medicines and accessing mental health care.

The Australian government pays for Medicare through the Medicare levy. Working Australians pay the Medicare levy as part of their income tax.

When you enrol in Medicare, they pay some or all of the costs of your necessary health care.

Keep in mind, they don’t pay for all medical services.

The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) lists the services they pay for. The Department of Health and Aged Care manages the MBS. Read more about what’s covered.

If your doctor bulk bills, they pay the cost directly to the doctor. This means you won’t have to pay anything. Read more about how bulk billing works.

You’ll need to pay for your appointment if your GP doesn’t bulk bill. You may be able to claim some of this money back from Medicare. Make sure you’ve registered your bank account details with Medicare to get Medicare refunds. Find out more about getting Medicare benefits.

Medicare also help to make some medicines more affordable for you through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Read more about Medicine and Medicare.

If you have high medical costs, there are ways to help keep your costs under control. Read more about help with medical costs.

Information line

Contact Medicare

Programs, apps and tools

Recommended links

This information was originally published on healthdirect - Medicare Australia.

Last reviewed: January 2025

Information from this partner

Found 26 results

Having a baby - Services Australia

Payments and services to help when you have a baby. How to enrol your baby in Medicare. How returning to work and your child's immunisations affect your payments.

Read more on Medicare website

Australian Immunisation Register - Services Australia

The national register where your vaccinations are recorded.

Read more on Medicare website

Australian Organ Donor Register - Services Australia

The national register where you record your organ and tissue donation decision.

Read more on Medicare website

Before the birth of your baby - Having a baby - Services Australia

There’s a lot of information about payments and services available to help you raise your child or children.

Read more on Medicare website

Caring for myself while caring for someone - Caring for someone - Services Australia

If you care for someone, it’s important to make sure you’re also taking care of yourself. There’s support available to help you do this.

Read more on Medicare website

Child Dental Benefits Schedule - Services Australia

Covers part or the full cost of some basic dental services for children if you get certain payments from us.

Read more on Medicare website

Children’s health care - Child health and safety - Services Australia

We cover some or all of your child’s health care costs.

Read more on Medicare website

Cleft and craniofacial conditions - Services Australia

Medicare benefits to help with treatment costs for cleft and craniofacial conditions.

Read more on Medicare website

Essential Medical Equipment Payment - Services Australia

A yearly payment to help with energy costs to run essential medical equipment or heating or cooling used for medical needs.

Read more on Medicare website

External Breast Prostheses Reimbursement Program - Services Australia

You can get a Medicare rebate to help with the cost of an external breast prosthesis, or swimming prosthesis, after breast cancer surgery.

Read more on Medicare website

Call us and speak to a Maternal Child Health Nurse for personal advice and guidance.

Need further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?

Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present.

This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.