From April 1 2024 we’re increasing the maximum age for student and non-student dependants from 24 (inclusive) to 30 (inclusive). This change means that eligible dependants can stay on your health cover until they turn 31.
Student Dependant:
If your child is studying full-time, you can keep them on your family cover until their 31st birthday for no extra cost if you register them each year for both semesters (or only the first semester if that’s the only one that applies).
You’ll need some details to register them which include:
- Name of educational institution
- Course
- Student ID number
Non-Student Dependant:
If your child isn’t studying full-time, they can still stay on your family cover until their 31st birthday for up to 33% of the gross premium* (or a bit less depending on the type of cover you have). You’ll only pay the extra amount regardless of the number of adult dependants (between 21 and 30) on your membership.
*Gross premium refers to the base premium amount before any Australian Government Rebate, Lifetime Health Cover loading, discounts or employee subsidies (if relevant) have been factored in.
With this increase in dependant age, you are able to add your student or non-student dependant back on your cover from 1 April 2024.
If your child didn’t take out any cover during the time they were off your policy, they’ll need to serve their waiting periods.
That’s not a problem. We can add their Medicare card number on the policy, just mention this when talking to our customer service team to get this updated.
Hospital cover can be used in your tax return to avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge.
At tax time, your student and/or non-student dependants will not receive a separate tax statement (as per previous years). They will need to use your statement if needed for tax purposes.