Commonwealth Seniors Health Card: Eligibility and how to apply

It can seem like there isn’t much help available when it comes to your retirement living expenses if you don’t qualify for the Age Pension.

But many people in this situation overlook the support a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) can provide. If you’re eligible, this concession card gives you access to cheaper healthcare, medications and, potentially, government services. This can add up to thousands of dollars in savings per year.

So, what is the CSHC and how do you get your hands on one?

What is the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?

The CSHC is a concessional card that allows you to get cheaper healthcare and some discounts if you’ve reached Age Pension age.

If you’re eligible for the CSHC, the benefits include:

• Cheaper prescription medicines: Medicines listed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are subsidised by the federal government.
• Bulk-billed doctor visits: This is at the discretion of the doctor you choose.
• Access to the Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) – Concessional benefit: This gives you a better Medicare refund for any out-of-hospital costs during a calendar year. The 2024 EMSN – Concessional threshold amount for out-of-pocket hospital costs is $811.80. If you exceed this, you’ll be refunded 80% of the amount, or the EMSN – General benefit caps for hospital services. For more information, check out the Medicare website.

Additional concessions from state and local governments: Depending on where you live, these concessions can lower your electricity and gas bills, property and water rates, healthcare costs and public transport fares. For more information, check with your state, territory or local government.

Are you eligible for the CSHC?

To be eligible, you must:

1. Have reached your Age Pension eligibility age

The Age Pension age increased to age 67 from 1 July 2023.

2. Not qualify for any payment from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)

This means you can’t be entitled to receive an Age or DVA Pension.

3. Live in Australia and meet the residence rules

You must be living in Australia when you claim a CSHC and must be an Australian citizen, hold a permanent visa or hold a Special Category Visa as a New Zealand citizen living in Australia. You must continue to meet the residence rules the whole time you are using the CSHC.

Most newly arrived residents have to wait several years before being eligible for the CSHC.

You must meet the residence rules for the entire period you are using the CSHC.

4. Be under the annual CSHC income threshold

The CSHC income threshold is different to the Age Pension income test. There is no assets test for the CSHC and assets like your family home are not counted.

5. Provide a Tax File Number (TFN)

You must provide Services Australia with your TFN or be exempt from doing so.

6. Meet the identity requirements

You will need to prove your identity to Services Australia before you are entitled to receive a CSHC.

To claim a concession from Services Australia, you need a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN), which you can get from Centrelink online, over the phone or in person at a service centre.

Proving your identity online can be done either using your myGov account or a strong Digital Identity.

It’s also possible to prove your identity over the phone or in person at a Centrelink Service Centre by providing details from three different forms of personal ID. These include your birth certificate or Australian visa, driver’s licence, marriage certificate, bank card or statement, and rates notice or tenancy agreement. Check the Services Australia website here for more details.

What’s included in the CSHC income test?