Eligibility requirements

New patients under 16 years of age (prior to 16^th birthday) or continuing patients under 18 years of age (or until discharged from paediatric care) must meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for referral to the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.

1. Medicare eligible patients including:

• Medicare card holders
• A person visiting Australia who is covered by reciprocal health care agreements
• A person declared eligible by the Commonwealth Minister of Health and Aged Care
• An asylum seeker who has a valid temporary entry visa and is an applicant for a protection visa and has either work rights or a spouse, parent or child who is a permanent Australian resident, is eligible to apply for a Medicare card and is therefore an eligible person.

2. Not Medicare eligible but for consideration on a case-by-case basis:

• A child of any student holding a student visa who is registered with the Overseas Student Health Cover administered by Medibank Private and not Medicare eligible but otherwise meets all eligibility criteria.

If you are still unsure whether your patient is eligible for referral, please contact the director of the relevant service via the hospital switchboard on 07 3068 1111.

Patients must also meet the specified catchment area requirements.