Key

These icons will help you locate the concessions available to you:

Companion Card

Companion Card

Services Australia Health Care Card

Services Australia Health Care Card

Services Australia Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Services Australia Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria

Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

Seniors Card

Seniors Card

Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

Department of Veterans’ Affairs Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Department of Veterans’ Affairs Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Find out more about these cards

Below is the list of concessions available in the health category. To view each concession, click on its name. To expand or collapse the information for every concession use the links below:

    HEALTH

    health

    • Adult dental service

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      Subsidised emergency services, general services and dentures are available to adults who have a:

      • Services Australia or DVA* Pensioner Concession Card
      • Services Australia Health Care Card

      *DVA Gold or White Card holders should contact DVA on 133 254 to check their eligibility for dental services.

      For more information:

      Oral Health Services Tasmania
      Phone:       1300 011 013
      Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

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    • Children's dental service

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      Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria

      Free dental checks, preventive care and treatment are available to all children (0-17 years) under the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule (where a bulk billing consent form is signed), otherwise a subsidised service is available to children under 18 years. Some exceptions apply.

      Check under Health in the White Pages for your local children’s dental clinic.

      For more information:

      Oral Health Services Tasmania
      Phone:       1300 011 013
      Web:       www.health.tas.gov.au

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    • TasEquip

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      TasEquip provides a set range of assistive technology (equipment) to eligible Tasmanians to safely engage in basic, everyday tasks and thereby support their ongoing independence or care within our community, and also to transition home from acute care or to access required education settings.

      To be eligible, clients need to have a:

      • Services Australia Health Care Card
      • Services Australia Concessions Card

      and be:

      • a permanent Tasmanian resident
      • living in the community, or required for discharge from hospital and
      • ineligible for Home Care Package Level 3 or 4, Workers Compensation, MAIB, or DVA*.

      The equipment range includes items such as shower chairs, walking aids, adjustable height seats, hoists, wheelchairs, and electric wheelchairs. Access to TasEquip resources is by therapist prescribing only. This is to ensure that the most appropriate equipment to meet the client’s clinical need is supplied.

      * Where DVA card holders are not eligible under another scheme. DVA Health Card holders should contact DVA to check their potential eligibility.

      For more information:

      TasEquip phone:

      (South): 6166 7393
      (North): 6777 4336
      (North-West): 6478 5599

      Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

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    • Continuous Positive Airways Pressure Program

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      Assistance through provision of equipment is available to people who have been clinically assessed as having a sleep-related breathing disorder requiring a positive airways pressure machine.

      Please consult your medical specialist.

      To be eligible, people must have a prescription from a sleep specialist and hold a:

      • Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card
      • Services Australia Health Care Card.

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Phone:
      General enquiries: 1300 135 513
      Royal Hobart Hospital Department of Respiratory Medicine: 6166 8438
      Launceston General Hospital Respiratory Unit: 6777 6708
      Email (South): rhh.respiratory@ths.tas.gov.au

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    • Enteral feeds and supplements

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      Tube feeds and oral nutrition supplements are supplied at subsidised cost to people:

      • with serious medical conditions that affect their ability to meet nutritional requirements with normal food and drink and
      • who are assessed by a Dietitian as requiring nutritional support.

      The subsidised costs are based on estimates from the Household Expenditure Survey for food. The costs are adjusted annually based on the

      Consumer Price Index. The Program does not supply nutritional products that are listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme General Schedule.

      Further reduction in the subsidised costs are available if you hold a:

      • Services Australia Health Care Card
      • Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card (if ineligible to access products via DVA)

      Or

      • satisfy assessments for significant financial hardship.

      The subsidised supplements are NOT available to individuals who are:

      • eligible for compensation from MAIB, Workers’ Compensation or any Common Law compensation
      • receiving financial assistance from any other government-funded program or where a compensation payment has been made that includes future nutritional support
      • in residential facilities or hospitals that are required to provide nutrition to meet their residents’ needs
      • participants with NDIS and eligible for provision of enteral or oral nutrition support.

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Phone:
      Royal Hobart Hospital: 6166 8145
      Launceston General Hospital:  6777 6477
      North-West Regional Hospital: 6493 6467

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    • Patient travel assistance

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      Financial assistance is available for Tasmanians required to:

      • travel more than 75 kilometres one way to access specialist medical services or lymphoedema treatment not available locally
      • travel more than 50 kilometres one way to access the nearest renal and oncology treatment centre

      and

      • the patient is ineligible for assistance from other sources (eg MAIB, Workers’ Compensation, DVA, Private Health Insurance, NDIS).

      Levels of assistance are determined by the distance, type of travel and accommodation required.

      Patient contribution towards travel is reduced for holders of a:

      • Services Australia or DVA* Pensioner Concession Card
      • Services Australia Health Care Card.

      *  Where DVA card holders are not eligible under another scheme.

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Patient Travel South
      Phone:       6166 8225
      Email: ptasrhh@ths.tas.gov.au

      Patient Travel North
      Phone:       6777 6429
      Email: lgh.patient.travel@ths.tas.gov.au

      Patient Travel North-West
      Phone:       6477 7732
      Email: nw.ptas@ths.tas.gov.au

      Website: www.health.tas.gov.au/hospital/ptas

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    • Home Oxygen Program

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      Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria

      Oxygen supplies are available to patients assessed by a specialist doctor as needing oxygen therapy. Please consult your medical specialist.

      The assessment needs to be approved by the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Hobart or Launceston General Hospitals.

      Note: These arrangements do not apply to holders of a DVA Health Card – All Conditions ("Gold Card") or DVA Health Card – Specific Conditions ("White Card").

      For more information, DVA card holders should contact DVA on 1800 838 372 (1800 VETERAN).

      For more information:

      Department of Health

      Phone:
      General enquiries: 1300 135 513
      Royal Hobart Hospital, Department of Respiratory Medicine: 6166 7353
      Launceston General Hospital, Respiratory Unit: 6777 6708
      Email (South): rhh.respiratory@ths.tas.gov.au

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    • Pharmaceuticals

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Commonwealth Seniors Health Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans’ Affairs Commonwealth Seniors Health Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      Concessions are available on pharmaceuticals dispensed to patients discharged from hospital, outpatients attending the emergency department or hospital outpatient clinics within public hospitals.

      Medicare Card holders are entitled to receive pharmaceuticals at a maximum cost of $41.00* per prescription item. Holders of one of

      the following cards will pay a maximum of $6.60* per prescription item:

      • Services Australia Health Care Card
      • Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
      • Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
      • PBS Safety Net Concessions Card issued by a Pharmacy
      • DVA Health Card – All Conditions (“Gold Card”)
      • DVA Health Card – For Specific Conditions (“White Card”) where the pharmaceuticals are for treatment of specific accepted condition(s)
      • Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Card (“Orange Card”)
      • DVA Repatriation Health Card.

      Holders of a PBS Safety Net Entitlement Card will not be charged for their medication.

      Under current arrangements, these amounts are adjusted in line with inflation by the Australian Government on 1 January each year

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Phone:
      Royal Hobart Hospital: 6166 6700
      Launceston General Hospital: 6777 6728
      North-West Regional Hospital: 6493 6280
      Mersey Community Hospital: 6478 5229

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    • Visual aids

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      Department of Human Services Pension Concession Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

      Subsidies of 70 per cent are available on basic scheduled items such as basic lenses and basic frames. Low vision aids prostheses and intraocular implants are subsidised up to $379.95 per item. Eligible people include:

      • pre-school age children and adults post-year 12 who are permanent Tasmanian residents (for at least three continuous months immediately  prior to application)

      and who:

      • have an Australian Government or DVA Pensioner Concession Card (excluding holders of a DVA Health Card – All Conditions (“Gold Card”) and in some cases DVA Health Card for Specific Conditions (White Card) and
      • meet an assessment of current income and cash assets.

      Other low-income earners may be eligible for the subsidy under hardship provisions.

      The minimum Tasmanian residential requirement does not apply to refugees.

      To receive the subsidy, an application form must be completed and forwarded with the prescription to the Statewide Spectacles Scheme.

      The subsidy does not cover wards of state or school age children for whom assistance is available through Children and Family Services and the Department of Education.

      Note: People that can claim from private health insurance, Workers’ Compensation or any other source are not eligible to apply.

      For more information:

      Department of Health Spectacles Assistance Scheme
      Phone:       1800 232 148
      Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

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    • Wigs

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      Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      Financial assistance is available to cancer and alopecia patients who are referred by a doctor and have a:

      • Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card.

      Note: Holders of a DVA Gold or White Card should contact DVA on 133 254 to check their eligibility for provision of a wig.

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Phone:
      Service Tasmania: 1300 135 513
      Royal Hobart Hospital: 6166 8354 
      Launceston General Hospital: 6777 6140
      Northern Cancer Service – Burnie: 6493 6058
      Northern Cancer Service – Mersey: 6478 5317

      Or contact your medical specialist.

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    SPECIFIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS

    health

    • Diabetes

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      Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria

      Free needles and syringes are available to all people who have a prescription for injectable medication for either of the following:

      • insulin treated diabetes (all types – type 1; type 2; gestational diabetes; other diabetes conditions)
      • non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes requiring injectable non-insulin blood glucose lowering medication

      and are:

      • residents of Tasmania, including those temporarily interstate
      • registered on the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) and
      • not receiving any other co-payment* to cover the cost of needles and syringes under the NDSS.

      * Holders of a DVA Pensioner Concession Card may be eligible for free needles and syringes and should consult the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in the first instance.

      For more information:

      Diabetes Tasmania Helpline
      Phone:       6215 9000
      Email: mail@diabetestas.org.au
      NDSS Enquiries: ndss@diabetesaustralia.com.au
      Web: www.diabetestas.org.au

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    • Lymphoedema

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      Department of Human Services Pension Concession Card; Department of Human Services Health Care Card

      Financial assistance is available to people requiring compression garments to help manage lymphoedema and have a:

      • Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
      • Services Australia Health Care Card.

      Note: For card holders of a DVA Pensioner Concession Card please consult the DVA.

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Phone:
      Royal Hobart Hospital, Physiotherapy: 6166 8634
      Royal Hobart Hospital, Occupational Therapy: 6166 8314
      Launceston General Hospital, Physiotherapy: 6777 6216
      North-West Regional Hospital, Physiotherapy: 6493 6250
      Email:
      (South) rhh.physiotheraphy@ths.tas.gov.au
      (North) lgh.ahs@ths.tas.gov.au
      (North-West) burnie.physio@ths.tas.gov.au

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    • Orthotic / Prosthetic Services

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      Services Australia Health Care Card; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

      A reduced contribution charge for orthotic and prosthetic services is provided to eligible people whose costs are not met by other organisations such as MAIB, Worker’s Compensation, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

      To access the service, clients are required to have a current referral from either a GP, an allied health professional or a medical specialist.

      Those eligible for a reduced contribution include holders of a:

      • Services Australia or DVA* Pensioner Concession Card
      • Services Australia Health Care Card.

      * Where DVA card holders are not eligible under another scheme.

      For more information:

      Department of Health
      Phone:

      Orthotic Prosthetic Services Tasmania (South): 6166 7377
      Orthotic Prosthetic Services Tasmania (North): 6777 8562
      Orthotic Prosthetic Services Tasmania (North-West): 6493 6272
      Email: opst.tas@ths.tas.gov.au
      Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

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