The Gold Card [3] entitles the holder to treatment for all their health care conditions at DVA [3] expense. DVA will not pay for treatment of a disease or injury for which the person has already received compensation or damages. The holder should present their Gold Card when they visit a:
A Gold Card is issued, regardless of income and assets or war caused disability, to:
A Gold Card is also issued to veterans or mariners receiving disability compensation (treatment) [3]:
Veterans in receipt of an age or invalidity service pension are eligible for a Gold Card if they:
Veterans in receipt of a service pension (including partner service pension) are eligible for a Gold Card if they:
Pension supplement is regarded as a component of service pension, when determining whether a veteran is in receipt of service pension for the purposes of establishing Gold Card eligibility.
Commonwealth and Allied Veterans
Commonwealth veterans, Allied veterans and Allied mariners may gain entitlement to medical treatment at departmental expense if they had Australian domicile at the time of enlistment.
More → [11]
The domicile test applies in respect of operational service performed during the world wars and also to post World War 2 operational service in operational areas. The operational areas for post World War 2 service are included in Schedule 2 [12] of the VEA.
In very rare circumstances, Commonwealth and allied veterans who were not domiciled in Australia prior to rendering qualifying service may potentially be eligible to receive the Gold Card at age 70. This can occur when the veteran has:
The dependants [3] eligible for a Gold Card are:
Former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), cadets and reservists who have conditions for which liability has been accepted under the MRCA are eligible for a Gold Card if they:
Australian members of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan at the end of the Second World War and Australian participants in the British Nuclear Tests (BNT) in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s are eligible for a Gold Card.
BCOF service must be in Japan between 31 January 1946 and 28 April 1952.
A person is a BNT participant if they meet the criteria relating to being in a nuclear test area within defined dates. The full definition is contained in the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006.
South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) civilian aid program
Members of the Australian civilian surgical and medical teams who were contracted by the then Department of External Affairs to provide medical aid to civilian hospitals and training to local staff under the SEATO civilian aid program in South Vietnam between October 1964 and December 1972 are eligible for Gold Cards. This can include doctors, nurses, administration and technical personnel who were part of the teams.
More [18]
Provided they do not have other eligibility for a Gold Card, a person loses eligibility for a Gold Card if they:
All other Gold Card holders retain their eligibility irrespective of any change to their financial circumstances or their accepted disabilities.
Section 84 [22] VEA - Provision of treatment
Section 89 [23] VEA - Treatment at hospitals and other institutions
Section 90 [24] VEA - Guide to the provision of treatment
Section 53D [28] VEA Eligibility for treatment at Departmental expense
Section 85(4A) [29] VEA Veterans eligible to be provided with treatment
Section 85(4B) [30] VEA Veterans eligible to be provided with treatment
Gold Card Eligibility under Gold Card Eligibility under the Income/Assets Reduction Limit
Section 7.1.3 Gold Card Eligibility under the Income/Assets Reduction Limit [37]
Gold Card Eligibility under the Income/Assets Reduction Limit
Section 7.1.3 Gold Card Eligibility under the Income/Assets Reduction Limit [37]
The Repatriation Health Card - For All Conditions is gold in colour and frequently referred to simply as the “Gold Card”. The card entitles its holder to obtain health care and related services for all the person's identified health care needs, whether they are war-caused or not.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Disability compensation, for the purpose of Gold Card eligibility is:
· a pension paid under Part II and Part IV of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA); or
· a pension paid under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 provisions referred to in Part V of the VEA.
A service pension is an income support payment broadly equivalent to the social security age and disability support pensions. It may be paid once a veteran or partner has reached the nominated age or is incapacitated for work.
Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
A person may be regarded as permanently blind in both eyes where:
The Commission Guideline CM5829: Determining 'permanently blind', 'no useful sight' and 'blinded in both eyes' [48]may be instructive in making a blinded/blindness determination.
A dependant of a veteran (including a deceased veteran) is:
A war widow/widower is generally a person who immediately before their partners death, was the partner of, or was legally married to:
Refer to 5E(1) [49] of the VEA for the full definition.
Section 5F(1) of the VEA defines dependent child as having the same meaning as in the Social Security Act 1991. For income support purposes, dependent child is defined as:
Child under 16 years
A child under 16 years cannot be considered a dependent child if:
Child 16 years or older
A young person who has turned 16 years but is under 22 years can still be a dependent child of the pensioner if:
A child over 16 years cannot be considered a dependent child if:
Income includes earning from casual, part-time or full-time earnings.
Note: the meaning of a dependent child for DVA income support pension purposes is not the same as the meaning for Family Tax Benefit purposes.
Operational service is generally service performed:
Refer to section 6 of the VEA through to 6F of the VEA for a full explanation of operational service.
The Repatriation Health Card - For Specific Conditions (White Card) entitles its holder to treatment of 'accepted' disabilities, ie injuries, illnesses or diseases accepted by the Repatriation Commission as caused by war or other forms of eligible service.
Depending on eligibility, Australian veterans may also be entitled to treatment of:
where DVA has accepted a claim for treatment for those conditions.
Once the application for treatment only is approved by the Repatriation Commission a White Card is issued indicating that the Commission has accepted responsibility for the treatment of these conditions.
Treatment for any unidentified condition that arises within 15 years of an eligible period of service is available to all veterans, members of the Defence Force, or peacekeepers with an eligible period of service. The treatment is available once the application is approved by the Repatriation Commission and a White Card is issued. Treatment coverage continues until the condition is diagnosed and a decision is then made as to whether the now identified condition is service related or not. Treatment is continued for those identified conditions accepted as service related. Treatment ceases for those rejected as service related.
Links
[1] https://clik.dva.gov.au/user/login?destination=node/16798%23comment-form
[2] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn7
[3] https://clik.dva.gov.au/%23
[4] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn8
[5] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn9
[6] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn10
[7] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 27
[8] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn11
[9] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn12
[10] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn13
[11] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn14
[12] clik://LEGIS/VEA/Schedule 2
[13] mailto:L.and.SE.Policy@dva.gov.au
[14] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn15
[15] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn16
[16] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn17
[17] https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00144
[18] http://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019A00041
[19] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-cspol_part7_ftn18
[20] http://auth-clik.dvastaff.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-policy-library/part-4-disability-compensation-eligibility/41-disability-pension-eligibility
[21] http://auth-clik.dvastaff.dva.gov.au/military-compensation-mrca-manuals-and-resources-library/policy-manual/ch-4-liabilities-arising-apart-act/42-common-law-action-against-commonwealth-or-potentially-liable-member/423-action-damages-related-service-death
[22] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 84
[23] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 89
[24] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 90
[25] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn7
[26] clik://HPOL/AH/2
[27] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn8
[28] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 53D
[29] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 85(4A)
[30] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 85(4B)
[31] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn9
[32] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 85
[33] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn10
[34] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 6A
[35] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 6C
[36] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn11
[37] https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-policy-library/part-7-common-allowances-and-benefits/71-treatment-departmental-expense/713-gold-card-eligibility-under-incomeassets-reduction-limit
[38] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn12
[39] https://clik.dva.gov.au/military-compensation-mrca-manuals-and-resources-library/policy-manual/ch-8-treatment-injuries-and-diseases/87-other-provisions/871-treatment-available-under-vea-eligible-mrca-persons
[40] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn13
[41] https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-policy-library/part-3-income-support-eligibility/35-residency/354-domicile
[42] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn14
[43] clik://LEGIS/VEA/section 86
[44] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn15
[45] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn16
[46] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn17
[47] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-cspol_part7_ftn18
[48] http://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-reference-library/commission-guidelines/cm5829-determining-permanently-blind-no-useful-sight-and-blinded-both-eyes#
[49] http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2015C00011
[50] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#tgt-SSA_ftn1
[51] http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A04121
[52] https://clik.dva.gov.au/book/export/html/16798#ref-SSA_ftn1