The following information was sent to one of our board members by Centrelink Grandparents Advisor. FYI:
A foster child will usually have their own Medicare card. This is provided to the Carer when a foster child goes into their care and then returned to CPFS if the child leaves their care.
CPFS or the case-worker would be the ‘contact person’. A ‘contact person’ is someone that can get information from Medicare and make changes to the card.
A foster child cannot be copied or transferred to their foster carers Medicare card. Any Medicare business should be directed to the CPFS caseworker for action and follow up. For example – where an immunisation statement is required for School/Child Care purposes, the case-worker will be able to contact Medicare and request the statement.
There are circumstances where CPFS can apply to Medicare to get the foster child copied onto the carers Medicare card. This would be when the child is under 15 years and will be in long term care. It is CPFS that define ‘long term’. Or, if the carer has applied to adopt the child, again, CPFS would request Medicare to copy the child onto the carers Medicare card.
Any child can only be on two cards at any one time. There are circumstances where transferring to a third card is accepted. Children will never be cancelled from the original parent’s card unless CPFS specifically request this. Again there is policy around these rules.
Children can apply for their own Medicare card when they turn 15 years without permission from CPFS.
