Adding Your Newborn To Medicare: What's The Timeline?

Adding a newborn baby to Medicare is a crucial step in ensuring they have access to healthcare services. In Australia, it is recommended to enrol a newborn in Medicare as soon as possible, and it can be done by submitting a Newborn Child Declaration form or by claiming certain family payments. The process can be completed online through the myGov platform or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app, or by mailing or emailing the required documents. The time taken to add a newborn to Medicare can vary, with some reporting delays of almost a month or more, while others have had their newborns added within a couple of weeks. It's important to plan ahead and be prepared for potential delays to avoid any issues with healthcare appointments or reimbursements for expenses.

Enrolling a newborn in Medicare

Step 1: Register the birth of your baby

As soon as your baby is born, you must register their birth. This is a requirement by the births, deaths, and marriages registry in your state or territory. You can do this by filling out a form provided by the hospital or online. Registering the birth of your baby is free and must be done within 60 days of birth.

Step 2: Get your Parent Pack

After the birth, you will receive a Parent Pack from the hospital or midwife. This will include a Newborn Child Declaration form, which must be signed by a doctor or midwife on the last page. This form will serve as proof of your child's birth when enrolling them in Medicare.

Step 3: Enroll your baby in Medicare

You should enroll your newborn baby in Medicare as soon as possible. There are a few ways to do this:

• Using the Newborn Child Declaration form: You can submit this form online if your Medicare account is linked to myGov. You can also mail or email the form to Medicare Enrolment Services.
• Using the Medicare enrolment form: If you don't have the Newborn Child Declaration form, you can fill out the Medicare enrolment form and send it by mail or email to Medicare Enrolment Services, along with proof of birth documents.
• As part of a family payment claim: If you are claiming a Centrelink family payment, you can enroll your baby online when submitting your claim.

Step 4: Provide supporting documents

When enrolling your baby in Medicare, you will need to provide supporting documents as proof of birth. This can include:

• A birth certificate or extract
• Other Australian Government documents that verify the child's name and date of birth (e.g., a passport or naturalization certificate)
• A letter from the doctor or midwife who attended the birth, including home births. This letter must include the child's name, date and place of birth, parents' details, the doctor or midwife's signature, qualifications, contact information, and registration number.

Step 5: Add your baby to your Medicare card

Once your baby is enrolled in Medicare, they will be added to your Medicare card. You will receive a new Medicare card with your baby's name on it within 3 to 4 weeks. You can also get a digital version of your updated card immediately in the Express Plus Medicare app.

Please note that you can also add your baby to another person's Medicare card, such as the other parent or a full-time carer.

Proof of birth

If your baby was born in Australia, you can enrol them in Medicare online. You will need to provide supporting documents for proof of birth. These can be uploaded as a PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG or BMP format less than 5MB.

If you have a Parent Pack from your hospital or midwife, it will include a Newborn Child Declaration form. A doctor or midwife must sign the form on the last page. This can be used as proof of your child's birth to enrol them in Medicare. If you lose this form, you will need your child's birth certificate to enrol them in Medicare.

If you don't have a Newborn Child Declaration form, you can still enrol your baby by providing proof of birth documents. This can be:

• A birth certificate or extract
• Other Australian Government documents that verify the child's name and date of birth, such as a passport or naturalisation certificate
• A letter from the doctor or midwife who attended the birth.

If you are using a letter from the doctor or midwife as proof, it must include:

• Details of the child's parents
• The child's name, date and place of birth
• The doctor or midwife's signature, qualifications, contact information and registration number

Newborn Child Declaration form

The Newborn Child Declaration form is a document that serves as proof of your child's birth. It is included in the Parent Pack, which you will receive from the hospital or midwife after your baby is born. The form must be signed by a doctor or midwife on the last page. This form is essential for enrolling your newborn in Medicare and accessing various government services and benefits.

How to obtain the Newborn Child Declaration form:

You will automatically receive the Newborn Child Declaration form as part of the Parent Pack provided by the hospital or midwife after your baby's birth. It is important to ensure that the form is properly completed and signed by the relevant medical professional.

Using the Newborn Child Declaration form for Medicare enrolment:

The Newborn Child Declaration form is a crucial document for enrolling your newborn in Medicare. Here are the steps to enrol your baby in Medicare using this form:

• Complete the form: Ensure that the Newborn Child Declaration form is duly filled out and signed by a doctor or midwife on the last page. This serves as proof of your child's birth.
• Submit the form: You can submit the completed form online if your Medicare online account is linked to myGov. Alternatively, you can mail or email the form to Medicare Enrolment Services.
• Provide supporting documents: Along with the Newborn Child Declaration form, you may be required to submit supporting documents, such as your Centrelink Customer Reference Number and Medicare card details. These supporting documents help finalise any pre-birth claims and enrol your baby in Medicare.
• Enrolment process: Once you have submitted the form and supporting documents, the enrolment process will begin. This process can take up to 14 business days to complete.
• Receiving the Medicare card: After your baby is enrolled in Medicare, you will receive a new Medicare card with your baby's name on it. This process usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks. You can also access a digital version of your updated card immediately through the Express Plus Medicare mobile app.

Other uses of the Newborn Child Declaration form:

In addition to enrolling your baby in Medicare, the Newborn Child Declaration form has several other important purposes:

• Registering for My Health Record: The form can be used to register your baby for a My Health Record on the Australian Digital Health Agency website.
• Enrolling in the Australian Immunisation Register: It helps enrol your baby in the Australian Immunisation Register, ensuring their immunisation records are maintained.
• Finalising family assistance payment claims: If you have made any family assistance payment claims before your baby's birth, the Newborn Child Declaration form is required to finalise these claims.
• Enrolling in the Medicare Safety Net: The form also facilitates enrolling your baby in the Medicare Safety Net program.

Adding a newborn to an existing Medicare card

Step 1: Obtain the Required Documents

After your baby is born, you will receive a Parent Pack from the hospital or midwife. This pack includes a Newborn Child Declaration form, which serves as proof of your child's birth. Make sure the form is signed by a doctor or midwife on the last page. Keep this form safe, as you will need it for enrolment. If you lose the Newborn Child Declaration form, don't worry—you can use your child's birth certificate or other acceptable documents as proof of birth.

Step 2: Enrol Your Baby in Medicare

You have several options to enrol your baby in Medicare:

• Using the Newborn Child Declaration Form: If your Medicare online account is linked to myGov, you can log in and upload the completed Newborn Child Declaration form. This is the quickest way to enrol your baby.
• Online Enrolment: If you don't have a Newborn Child Declaration form, you can enrol your baby using your online Medicare account or the Express Plus Medicare Mobile app. You will need to provide proof of birth documents, such as a birth certificate or a letter from the doctor or midwife who attended the birth.
• Paper Form: If you prefer, you can download and fill out the Medicare enrolment form and send it by mail or email to Medicare Enrolment Services, along with the supporting documents.

Step 3: Provide Supporting Documents

When enrolling your baby, you will need to provide supporting documents as proof of birth. These can include:

• Newborn Child Declaration form (if available)
• Birth certificate
• Other Australian Government documents verifying the child's name and date of birth (e.g., passport, naturalisation certificate)
• Letter from the doctor or midwife who attended the birth, including home births. This letter must include the child's name, date and place of birth, parents' details, and the doctor or midwife's signature, qualifications, and registration number.

Step 4: Add Your Baby to an Existing Card

During the enrolment process, you will have the option to add your baby to an existing Medicare card. This can be your card or the card of another parent or guardian. You can add your baby to up to two cards. Provide the details of the other person so Medicare can contact them to get their consent.

Step 5: Receive Your Updated Card

Once your baby is enrolled in Medicare, you will receive a new Medicare card with your baby's name on it. This process usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks. However, you can access a digital version of your updated card immediately through the Express Plus Medicare app.

Remember, it's important to enrol your newborn in Medicare as soon as possible to ensure they have access to healthcare services and benefits.

Receiving a new Medicare card

Once you have enrolled your baby in Medicare, you will receive a new Medicare card with your baby's name on it.

If you are claiming a Centrelink family payment, you can enrol your baby online when you claim any of the following family payments:

• Family Tax Benefit, including Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement.
• Parental Leave Pay.

You can also enrol your baby by using the Newborn Child Declaration form. This form will be included in the Parent Pack you receive from your hospital or midwife after the birth. A doctor or midwife must sign the form on the last page. You can use this form to enrol your baby in Medicare and the Medicare Safety Net, as well as to register your baby for a My Health Record and the Australian Immunisation Register.

If you are not claiming a Centrelink family payment, you can enrol your baby using the Express Plus Medicare Mobile app or by filling in the Medicare enrolment form at home and sending it by mail or email to Medicare Enrolment Services. You will need to attach proof of birth documents, such as a birth certificate, other Australian Government documents that verify the child's name and date of birth, or a letter from the doctor or midwife who attended the birth.

If your baby was not born in Australia, you cannot enrol them online. However, you can still enrol your overseas-born baby in Medicare if you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

After enrolling your baby, you should receive your new Medicare card in 3 to 4 weeks. You can also get a digital version of your updated card immediately in the Express Plus Medicare app.

Frequently asked questions