Frequently asked questions

For the most up-to-date information and advice, please visit the Department of Health and relevant state and territory health department websites.

For the latest COVID-19 Vaccine information and advice, please visit the Australian Government’s COVID-19 Vaccination website.

There are a few ways you can claim. The easiest way is with My Medibank, either online or via app.  

To claim online, members with eligible extras need to register their details at members.medibank.com.au and follow the prompts. Or for the app, they need to search ‘My Medibank’ in the App Store of Google Play and follow the instructions.   

Unfortunately, benefits will not be payable for face masks that are purchased to avoid contracting COVID-19 (or any other ailment) under any private health cover. 

Every state and territory will have their own advice and regulations in place, so we recommend calling your health provider to check their COVID-safe practices before an appointment. There may even be a telehealth option for your consultation.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners have outlined some helpful information on how and when to book a telehealth consultation. 

Now is an important time to keep to our health checks and appointments with health professionals to help prevent and manage any ongoing health issues during this difficult and stressful time.

We all hope COVID-19 is relatively short lived and we can go back to normal conditions later in the year. With this in mind, it is important to understand that if you close your cover, waiting periods may apply if you choose to take it out again at a later time. If you decide to downgrade your cover and then upgrade again later, you will need to re-serve waiting periods for any services that were not included on your lower cover and for any increased benefits. For hospital cover, these waiting periods include a 12 month waiting period applies for any pre-existing conditions or for hospital admissions for pregnancy and birth.

Whilst elective surgeries have been temporarily cancelled due to COVID-19, your private hospital insurance will still cover you for any urgent admissions, where the service is included or restricted on your policy and you have served any required waiting period. 

Category 1 and some category 2 elective surgeries are still being performed – and for some our customers they will need their cover for those surgeries. 

South Australian residents

Allied health services such as physiotherapy, dental and optometry will be suspended during this Circuit Breaker lockdown period. The good news is that some services will still be available via Telehealth.

Victorian residents

Though many health services remain open, we recommend confirming with your provider, as restrictions in Mebourne metro may limit the availability of some services.

Don’t forget, many extras services such as psychology, counselling and physiotherapy are available to eligible members via telehealth consultations. See here for more information. 

COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested for safety by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). And they will continue to monitor the vaccines after their approval. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccines and children on our FAQs page.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, such as a runny nose, sore throat, coughing, fever, loss of taste or smell, please get tested as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about getting tested, call the National COVID-19 Helpline on 1800 020 080 or call your GP. Check the links below for the nearest COVID-19 testing clinic in your state or territory:

ACT — covid19.act.gov.au

QLD — covid19.qld.gov.au

NT — coronavirus.nt.gov.au

NSW — nsw.gov.au/covid-19

SA — covid-19.sa.gov.au

TAS — coronavirus.tas.gov.au

VIC — dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

WA — healthywa.wa.gov.au

If you or someone in your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have been told to manage it at home, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has released a useful guide. You can read and download the guide here:  Home-care guidelines for patients with COVID-19

Remember that if you're a Medibank health insurance member, you can call 24/7 Medibank Nurse Support to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at no extra cost.* If you have any questions or concerns, ring us on 1800 644 325.*

Elective surgery restrictions will vary from state to state, so we recommend calling your treating specialist or hospital to check if your elective surgery is impacted, if they haven’t contacted you already.

If you have eligible hospital cover and are either going to hospital or you have recently been discharged, our Hospital Assist service is here for you. If you have any concerns about your hospital stay, please don’t wait, you can call us on 1800 789 414.

If you are admitted to a public hospital and treated as a public patient, your treatment is fully covered by Medicare and you don’t have to use your private health insurance. In fact, you may end up paying extra if you do use your private cover (for instance, if your policy includes an excess). You can read more about the differences between public and private hospital systems here.

During this time, it’s important that you feel supported in any decisions involving your health. So please don’t hesitate to call your Health Concierge team on 1800 789 414. 

Please note: this is not applicable to Overseas Health Cover policy holders. If you have OSHC questions about hospital access during COVID, call 134 148.

As we enter our third year of the pandemic, feelings of isolation and loneliness are shared by many. But it's important to know that you're not alone. 

Please visit the Medibank Better Minds website for helpful advice, guidance and support for your mental health needs. Our 24/7 Medibank Nurse Support is also available around the clock on 1800 644 325.* 

You can also reach out to the following mental health services:

Lifeline:                  13 11 14

Beyond Blue:         1300 22 4535

Kids Helpline:        1800 55 1800

Any future claims for complications arising from COVID-19 will be assessed in line with the pre-existing condition rules, where a Medibank-appointed Medical Practitioner will make a determination as to whether there were any signs or symptoms of the condition that existed at any time in the six-month period ending on the day on which the member became insured under the policy or changed their cover. 

If you are admitted to hospital and treated as a private patient, you may have some out-of-pocket expenses. 

For treatments included under your policy, Medicare and Medibank will jointly cover the cost of each MBS-listed item that was provided in your treatment, up to the MBS fee (the set government fee). 

However, if your treating doctors choose to charge more than the MBS fee, you may have to pay the gap amount as an out-of-pocket cost. Read more about how Medibank’s GapCover scheme can help reduce some of these out-of-pocket costs. 

Also, keep in mind that some private hospitals charge an emergency department facility fee. Because this is an outpatient fee, it isn’t usually covered by private health hospital insurance. 

And if your policy includes an excess, then this is also payable by you. 

We understand that sometimes your circumstances change. If you’re experiencing financial stress, we have a number of support options that may help you. Click here to learn more. 

Please note: this is not applicable to Overseas Health Cover policy holders.

The symptoms of COVID-19 to look out for include:

• Fever
• Runny nose
• Sore throat 
• Coughing
• Chills or sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Loss in sense of taste or smell 

If you’re feeling any one of these symptoms, please make sure you get tested as soon as possible.

Most importantly, if you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing, call 000 for urgent medical help.

The symptoms of COVID-19 to look out for include:

• Fever

• Runny nose

• Sore throat 

• Coughing

• Chills or sweats

• Shortness of breath

• Loss in sense of taste or smell 

If you’re feeling any one of these symptoms, please make sure you get tested as soon as possible.

Most importantly, if you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing, call 000 for urgent medical help.

• Get vaccinated - it’s one of the most important and effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19, and protect our loved ones.

• Get tested if you feel unwell and self-isolate until you’re given the all-clear.

• Keep up good hygiene.

• Wear masks – in line with your state and territory public safety orders.

• If you do have COVID-19 or you’ve been identified as a close contact, make sure you isolate in your home and follow state or territory public health advice.