Mumbai Disaster Health Care Assistance Scheme

What is it?

The Mumbai Disaster Health Care Assistance Scheme is an Australian Government initiative for Australians who have out-of-pocket expenses incurred in Australia for healthcare treatment as a direct result of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India on 26 and 27 November 2008. Out of pocket means those costs which are not covered by Medicare or normal government programs, or private travel or health insurance.

The scheme covers out-of-pocket expenses incurred by patients for the following types of services and they include medical gap payments, hospital costs, costs of pharmaceuticals and costs of allied health services such as physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.

Assistance will only be provided for the costs of health care delivered in Australia. Assistance for physical injuries will cease in May 2009 and assistance for psychological care will cease in November 2009.

The following kinds of people will be eligible for assistance with the costs of counselling, psychological services and psychiatric services for Australians:

caught up in the violence or a witness to the violence of the terrorist attack
held hostage or was an eye witness to hostage situations arising from the terrorist attack
a person who was a witness to a person seriously injured in the terrorist attack
a witness to the remains, body or bodies of a person or persons killed as a direct result of the terrorist attack during the time period of the incident
an immediate family member of a deceased Australian killed in the terrorist attack

Who is eligible?

The Mumbai Disaster Health Care Assistance Scheme covers persons in the following categories:

Australians who were victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26 and 27 November 2008
an immediate family member of a deceased Australian killed during the terrorist attack

How to register?

To register for the Mumbai Disaster Health Care Assistance Scheme, applicants can complete a Mumbai Special Assistance Scheme Registration Form. To receive this form applicants must ring the Medicare Australia Special Assistance Line on 1800 660 026 (call charges may apply) between 7.30am and 5.00pm (Australian Western Standard Time) Monday to Friday. A kit with information and claiming materials will then be sent to each newly registered person.

Lodging your claim

To lodge a claim under the Mumbai Disaster Health Care Assistance Scheme claimants must complete a Mumbai Disaster Health Care Assistance claim form [PDF, 145Kb] which can also be obtained from your local Medicare office.

Claims can then be lodged in one of the following ways:

at your local Medicare office
fax to 08 9214 8129
post to:
Medicare Australia Special Assistance
Reply Paid 9822
Perth WA 6848

When claiming attach all Medicare and/or private health insurance benefit statements to the claim form. Where services do not attract a Medicare benefit and are not covered by any other insurance, attach all accounts and/or receipts for a case by case assessment.

Payments for paid accounts can be made to the person making the claim either by cheque or by EFT deposit into a nominated financial institution account.

For unpaid accounts cheques will be made payable to, and sent directly to the provider of the service.

Registration and Claim Forms

Additional Information

For further information download a copy of the Mumbai Disaster Special Assistance Scheme Information Sheet for information about what is covered, how to determine eligibility, how to register and how to lodge a claim.

Applicants may also call 1800 660 026 (Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 5.00pm Australian Western Standard Time) or email info@medicareaustralia.gov.au.

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Last updated: 18 March, 2010