Treatment Benefits for Members and Dependants of Deceased Members

Legislative Authority

Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004
Chapter 6 Parts 2 and 3
Sections 271 to 284

Stated Current Purpose/Intent

To provide health care benefits:

• to eligible members and former members for treatment of injury or disease accepted as related to service;
• to eligible members and former members seriously affected by service related injury or disease for treatment of all conditions;
• to wholly dependent partners and wholly or mainly dependent eligible young persons eligible for compensation for the member's death under the MRCA.

Eligibility Criteria

Treatment is available under the MRCA for:

• ADF members who have conditions for which liability is accepted under the MRCA who have discharged from the ADF or are not currently serving in a full-time capacity, and
• wholly dependent partners and dependent eligible young persons of deceased members who are eligible for compensation for the member's death under the MRCA.

Notes

1. DVA will provide a Repatriation Health Card - For Specific Conditions (White Card) to a former member or entitled serving member to obtain treatment from an approved DVA health provider for an injury or disease for which liability has been accepted under the MRCA. A delegate of the MRCC must make an assessment of their needs and be satisfied that the accepted injury or disease is chronic and requires ongoing long-term treatment.
2. In exceptional circumstances DVA will pay for the reasonable costs of treatment for a former member or eligible serving member who has an injury or disease for which liability has been accepted under the MRCA; and, after an assessment of their needs, a MRCC delegate has determined that the treatment is required for one-off payment to cover the initial acute phase of an injury or disease, or the accepted condition(s) require only a one-off treatment.
3. DVA will provide a Repatriation Health Card — For All Conditions (Gold Card) for treatment of all conditions by an approved DVA health provider where permanent impairment from accepted conditions is assessed at or above 60 points; or a member meets the criteria for the SRDP (even if they don’t choose to take it); or a wholly dependent partner or dependent eligible young person entitled to compensation for the member’s death.
4. Some Gold Card and White Card eligibility remains available under the VEA for service on or after 1 July 2004 if the person is not otherwise entitled under the MRCA.
5. Under MRCA Chapter 6 Part 4 Division 2, the Commonwealth is liable to pay compensation for any costs reasonably incurred in respect of a journey made by a person to obtain necessary treatment for a compensable injury or disease or to attend a medical examination regarding a claim.  Where the Commission has given approval for an attendant to accompany the patient on a journey made to obtain reasonable treatment for a compensable injury or disease, the Commonwealth is also liable to pay the costs reasonably incurred by the attendant for that journey. 
   ('Reasonable costs' means that if the journey was by means other than public transport, i.e. ambulance, taxi etc, it was reasonable for the patient and the attendant to travel by such means.)

Date of Introduction

1 July 2004

Original Purpose/Intent

The original intention has not changed.