• Claim a rebate as part of your tax return (if you have not already claimed it as a reduction in your premiums or from Medicare); or
• Prove that you had an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover to be exempt from paying the additional 1% Medicare Levy Surcharge.

1. If you don't already claim the Government Rebate as a reduced premium, you may claim it as a Tax Offset when you lodge your 2010/2011 Tax Return. The amount you may be eligible to claim is shown in Label 'G' of your Tax Return.
2. If you have claimed the Government Rebate as a reduced premium throughout the financial year, your Private Health Insurance Tax Statement will show that you are entitled to no further offset against your tax liability ('0' will show in Label 'G' of your Tax Return).
3. Alternatively, you can claim the Government Rebate as a direct payment over the counter at your nearest Medicare outlet. All you need to do is obtain a PHIIB receipt (Private Health Insurance Incentive Benefit) from Australian Unity and fill out a Medicare claim form. Please note that if you choose this option you will need to update your details when you lodge your tax return.

1. All Australians who are eligible for Medicare and a member of a registered health fund.
2. People who have paid membership contributions for private health insurance, whether or not they are covered by that policy.
3. Anyone whose employer is paying member contributions on their behalf.

1. Asking Australian Unity to reduce your contributions by completing a Rebate Application form and claiming the Rebate up front as a reduced contribution.
2. As a direct payment from the Government through any Medicare outlet. Just contact Australian Unity on 13 29 39 and we will issue you a receipt for the member contributions you have paid.

• The Medicare Levy Surcharge is payable by high income earners during any period in which a private patient hospital cover is not held, including periods when cover is suspended.
• If you and/or your partner/spouse did not contribute to a private patient hospital cover and your taxable income for the financial year ending 30 June 2012 exceeds $80,000 (single) or $160,000 (couple/families) you are not exempt from the 1% Medicare Levy Surcharge.

Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) is a Government initiative which commenced from 1 July 2000. It is designed to encourage people to take out private health insurance earlier in life, and to maintain their cover over their lifetime.

Basically, if you don’t have hospital cover by 1 July after your 31st birthday, you’ll pay an extra 2% on the standard contribution rate for every year you don’t hold cover over the age of 30, to a maximum loading of 70%.

In 2007 the Private Health Insurance Act took effect with a new LHC provision. The new legislation states that if an individual has held hospital cover for 10 continuous years after 1 July 2000, they will no longer have to pay a LHC loading.

Yes. If you have maintained Hospital cover with Australian Unity or been with one other health fund for 10 continuous years the LHC loading will automatically be removed.

No. The legislation protects a member's right to change funds without penalty. The LHC loading will be removed if a person has paid a loading for 10 continuous years regardless of the type of hospital cover or the number of funds of which they may have been a member.

To ensure we can calculate your LHC loading correctly, we will need you to provide transfer certificates from all your previous heath funds.

Contact your previous health fund(s) and request a copy of your transfer certificate. They are required to issue your certificate within 14 business days of your request.

Review this list to see if your previous health fund has merged with another fund. If they have, contact the new fund to request a copy of your transfer certificate. If your previous health fund is not on the list please contact us on 13 29 39 to discuss your options.

No. The loading will be removed after you’ve held Hospital cover continuously for 10 years.

If you cancel your private hospital cover after the loading has been removed, and then re-purchase it at a later date, the LHC provisions will re-apply. Depending on the period of time without Hospital cover, you may be subject to the LHC loading at the same or higher rate that would have applied had the loading not been removed.

No, a period of suspension does not count towards the accumulation of the 10 year period. However the suspension period is considered as “permitted days” without hospital cover and therefore is an allowable break in the continuity of the 10 year period. Note that you have in total 1094 permitted days without hospital cover during your lifetime.

No. Extras cover does not qualify as Hospital cover and does not count towards your 10 continuous years of membership for LHC loading.

This means premiums paid in advance will be adjusted and we will further advance your current financial date.

The LHC loading applies to each individual on your membership, over age 30. Therefore the premium that you pay for your couples or family cover will take into account your LHC age as well as you partner's LHC age. Under a joint family or couple policy, the LHC loading is determined by averaging out the respective loadings of the adults covered by the policy.