Online Services frequently asked questions
Before Registering for Online Services please make sure your current address is up-to-date with Medicare Australia as the password will be mailed to this address.
General
Tell me about Medicare Australia's Online Services
While you still have the option of calling Medicare or visiting your local Medicare office, you can now choose to do some of your Medicare business online. This channel is available 24 hours a day from the comfort of your own home.
Online Services lets you view, update and request some of your Medicare information online.
To access the services you will need to register as an individual. You can do this online and your password will be posted to you or you may register at your local Medicare office. If you register at a Medicare office you will be given your password straight away.
What services are available online?
You can:
- view your current Medicare Safety Net balance
- view, print and save your Medicare Claims History statement
- view your child’s immunisation history statement (if your child is under 7 years of age)
- view your organ donor registration details
- view, print and save your Medicare benefit tax statement
- request a replacement or duplicate Medicare card – please note you can only request two replacement Medicare cards online per year
- update your personal details - such as contact details, preferred language, Indigenous status and Medicare card address. To protect your security your existing address will not be displayed. You cannot update changes to family circumstances, date of birth or change of name. To update these details you will need to visit your local Medicare office or call us on 132 011* for more information
- record your email address and provide your consent and agreement to let us communicate with you electronically in the future
- record your banking details. In the future Medicare payments may be paid directly into your account with the introduction of EFT claiming
Who can register to use Online Services?
To register for Online Services you must be:
- currently enrolled in Medicare;
- 14 years of age and over; and
- currently residing in Australia.
Can anyone else access my information?
No. To access your information you must provide your Medicare card details, date of birth, password and answers to your secret questions.
Every time you log onto Online Services you will see a security page with information about your access history, including:
- time and date of your last log on
- time and date your password was changed
- time and date your bank account details were changed
- the year your Medicare card address was changed
If you believe your information has been accessed without your authorisation, please call us on 132 011*.
How can I update my personal details?
Once you have registered with Online Services and received your password, logon to Online Services and set up your secret questions and answers and new password. Select the ‘Update your personal details’ link and when prompted to, answer two of your five secret questions and enter your postcode and town or suburb. You will then be able to update the following details:
- contact details
- preferred language
- Indigenous status
- Medicare card address
Note: You cannot update your name or date of birth using Online Services. To update these details you will need to visit your local Medicare office with proof of identity.
Who can I contact for help?
For general enquiries please call us on 132 011* – 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday EST (Eastern Standard Time).
If you are experiencing technical issues with Online Services please email us at: olssupport@medicareaustralia.gov.au
Registration
How do I register for Online Services?
Before Registering for Online Services please make sure your current address is up-to-date with Medicare Australia as the password will be mailed to this address.
There are two ways to register for Online Services.
- Online: You will need to provide your Medicare card number, individual reference number (to the left of your name on your Medicare card) and your date of birth. Then select submit. Once the registration is complete your password will be mailed to your Medicare card address within 10 working days.
- Medicare Office: Register at your local Medicare office, providing your Medicare card details and proof of identity and you will be given your password straight away.
Does each person on my Medicare card have to register individually?
Yes, each individual must register separately for Online Services. You must be at least 14 years of age to register for Online Services. Parents/guardians will be able to view information for dependants under the age of 14 who are listed on the same Medicare card.
How and when will I receive my password?
If you register online, provided that we have your most up-to-date address, you should receive your password in the mail within 10 working days. If you register at a Medicare office you will be given your password straight away.
Can my password be emailed to me?
No. You can only receive it by post or over the counter in a Medicare office.
Logon
What do I do when I have received my password?
Once you have received your password, go to the Online Services home page and select the Logon button located on the right-hand side of the screen. You need to have your Medicare card with you.
Enter your Medicare card number, individual reference number (located to the left of your name on your Medicare card), date of birth and password then select the Logon button.
Once you have logged on you will be asked to enter five secret questions and answers. Make sure you will easily remember them, as you will need to answer these questions regularly when you use Online Services.
You will then be asked to change your passsword.
Does my password expire?
No, however it is recommended that you change your password frequently to ensure the privacy of your information.
What do I do if I have forgotten or lost my password?
At the Online Services home page, select Forgotten your password? located on the right-hand side below the Logon button.
Enter your Medicare card number, individual reference number and date of birth and then select ‘Submit’.
- If you have logged on previously and set up your secret questions and answers you will be asked to answer three of your randomly selected questions. Once you have answered these successfully you will be able to update your password.
- If you have lost your Medicare generated password and have not previously logged on and set up your profile, a new password will be generated and mailed to your Medicare card address.
What happens if I select 'Reset Password'?
If you have selected the 'Reset Password' link and have not previously accessed Online Services or set up your secret questions and answers, a new password will be automatically generated and mailed to your Medicare card address.
How do I change/update my password?
To change or update a password you created, you need to select ‘Logon’ and then ‘Reset Password’ from the navigation menu on the left of the screen. Enter your Medicare details and select ‘Submit’. You will be prompted to answer three of your randomly selected secret questions. Once you have answered these successfully you will be able to update your password.
To change or update a Medicare generated password, you must first logon using the password provided to you and set up the five secret questions and answers. You will then be asked to change your password.
Secret questions and answers
Why do I need secret questions and answers?
Secret questions and answers give you an additional level of security. To update your details, or access private information online you must be able to correctly answer your secret questions when prompted.
When creating your secret questions and answers you should make sure that:
- your questions have answers that do not change over time
- your questions are specific
- the answers to your questions are short (ideally one word only)
- you avoid dates as these can be easily mistyped
- you avoid punctuation such as commas and full stops.
What are some examples of secret questions?
- What is my mother’s maiden name?
- What month was my first child born?
- What was the colour of my first car?
- What is my father’s middle name?
- What was the make of my first car?
- What was the name of my first pet
- What was the name of my first street?
- How many brothers and sisters do I have?
- What town was I born in?
- Which year did I start high school?
How do I reset my secret questions and answers?
- Logon to Online Services, agree to the Terms and Conditions and then select ‘Proceed to Online Services’.
- Select ‘Cancel Online Services Registration’ from the menu on the left of the screen. Select a reason and then ‘Cancel registration’.
- Select ‘Confirm cancel registration’.
- Select ‘Register for Online Services’, enter your details and select ‘Submit’. Agree to the Terms and Conditions.
- A new password will be mailed to you within 10 days.
- Once you receive your password letter, logon using the new password, this will allow you to create new secret questions and answers. You will then be asked to change your password.
Medicare Claims History online
How do I access my Medicare Claims History online?
Once you have registered with Online Services and received your password, logon to Online Services and set up your secret questions and answers and new password. Select the ‘View your Medicare Claims History’ link and when prompted to, answer two of your five secret questions and enter your postcode and town or suburb. You can then request your Medicare Claims History statement.
What information will be displayed on my Medicare Claims History statement?
The Medicare Claims History statement will display:
- your (or your dependants) details e.g. name, date of birth, Medicare card number
- date range of the statement e.g. 02/12/06 to 02/12/07
- the provider name and practice details. (For privacy and security reasons, the provider’s name and practice address will not be visible for children under the age of 14)
- date of each service
- item number and a brief item description
- total cost of service received
- Medicare benefit paid by the Government
- total cost to the patient
- payment method e.g. cash, cheque, EFT.
Can I view the Medicare Claims History information for everyone on my card?
You can view Medicare Claims History information for yourself and any child under 14 years of age who is listed on the Medicare card used to logon to Online Services.
Why can’t those aged 14 to 18 years access their Medicare Claims History information through Online Services?
For privacy reasons children between the ages of 14 and 18 will not be able to access their Medicare Claims History through Online Services, however they can still request their information by completing an application for information form and sending it to:
Release of Information Officer
Medicare Australia
GPO Box 9822
(in your capital city)
Why isn’t there any information displayed on my Medicare Claims History statement?
This could be because you haven’t made any Medicare claims during the selected date range, or you have registered for Online Services within the last two days. It can take up to 30 hours for the system to gather your Medicare Claims History information to display online.
What do I do if there is something missing from my Medicare Claims History information or if the details are incorrect?
You can call us on 132 011* or visit your local Medicare office with a copy of your Medicare Claims History statement. The Service Officer will be able to help you with your enquiry. Please note that some enquiries may require further investigation and may not be able to be resolved straight away.
Can I request a statement displaying more than 12 months worth of my Medicare Claims History information?
No. If you would like a Medicare Claims History statement that includes information from more than 12 months ago, you can request one by completing an application for information form [PDF, 138Kb]
and sending it to:
Release of Information Officer
Medicare Australia
GPO Box 9822
(in your capital city)
Can I use my Medicare Claims History statement for a compensation claim?
No. The Medicare Claims History information you view through Online Services can not be used for compensation purposes. You can access Compensation Recovery Program forms online.
Medicare benefit tax statement
How do I access my Medicare benefit tax statement through Online Services?
Once you have registered with Online Services and received your password, logon to Online Services and set up your secret questions and answers and new password. Select the ‘View your Medicare benefit tax statement’ link and when prompted to, answer two of your five secret questions and enter your postcode and town or suburb. You can then access your Medicare benefit tax statement online.
For which financial years can I request a Medicare benefit tax statement ?
You can only select either the previous financial year or the current financial year.
If you require a statement for a financial year more than two years ago you can request these by writing to:
Release of Information Officer
Medicare Australia
GPO Box 9822 in your capital city.
Can I request a Medicare benefit tax statement for everyone on the same Medicare card through Online Services?
You can view or request a Medicare benefit tax statement for yourself and those dependants under the age of 18 listed on the Medicare card. All members on the card aged 18 years and over will need to register for Online Services individually to request their own Medicare benefit tax statement.
Card members aged 14 years and over who are registered for Online Services can request their own statement.
Can I print my Medicare benefit tax statement through Online Services?
Yes. You can print out your Medicare benefit tax statement in PDF format or by selecting the print button at the bottom of the screen.
To view PDF files you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Can I have my Medicare benefit tax statement mailed to me through Online Services?
No. You are able to view, save and print your Medicare benefit tax statement through Online Services. To have your Medicare benefit tax statement mailed to you call 132 011*.
Troubleshooting enquiries
I experienced a time out issue when logging on.
This could be caused by the web browser you are currently using.
If you are currently using Internet Explorer 7 beta 2 version, we recommend you download the latest version of Internet Explorer 7. The beta 2 version has been known to cause issues for people wanting to access our website.
If you are unsure which web browser you are currently using please select ‘Help’ from the menu bar and than select ‘About Internet Explorer’.
I have not received my password in the mail.
You may not have your current address recorded with Medicare Australia. If you are unsure if your current address is recorded with Medicare Australia please visit your nearest Medicare office or call 132 011* and a Medicare service officer will assist you with either a change of address and/or a new password.
I am having problems entering my address at the Higher Access Level.
When you enter your address details, please enter only the suburb or town and postcode of your currently recorded Medicare mailing address.
This is the correct way to enter your address:
This is the incorrect way to enter your address:
For further assistance call 132 011*.
I am having problems entering my bank/financial institution account details.
If you are receiving either of the error messages below, make sure you have removed all symbols and punctuation from the ‘Name of account holder’ field.
- The account number you have supplied is not valid for the BSB entered. Please check your details and try again.
- The symbol you have supplied in the ‘Name of account holder’ field is invalid. The only valid symbols to be applied are – (hyphen) and ‘ (apostrophe).
Example:
- The correct way to enter your account name:
JR and SA Citizen - The incorrect way to enter your account name:
J.R. & S.A. Citizen
If you continue to experience problems email Online Services Support at olssupport@medicareaustralia.gov.au
*Call charges apply
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Last updated: 23 June, 2008