Veteran White Card

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The Veteran White Card provides treatment for certain medical conditions within Australia.

On this page

  1. What is the Veteran White Card
  2. Who can receive it
  3. How to apply for your White Card
  4. What you can receive
  5. How you use it
  6. Things you should know
  7. What to tell us

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What is the Veteran White Card

The Veteran White Card is a treatment card for veterans for accepted service-related injuries or conditions. What additional treatment you can get with your White Card can differ based on your type and time of service.

Depending on your service, it may provide you with medical treatment for:

  • all mental health conditions
  • cancer (malignant neoplasm)
  • pulmonary tuberculosis.

You can access a range of services and support with this card.

Your White Card may give you concessions or discounts from states, territories and businesses. You can also access the Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant, which includes a lapel pin. 

We send a physical card if you are eligible, but a digital version of your White Card is available in MyService. You can also add your White Card to your myGov wallet, in the myGov app.

Sign in or register with myGov

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Who can receive it

You can qualify for a White Card in different ways. What your card covers depends on your service and any accepted injuries or conditions you have.

Below, you can find more information about who can receive the different types of treatment.

Service-related injuries or conditions

You may be eligible for a White Card for your service-related injuries or conditions if you are:

  • a current or former Australian Defence Force (ADF) member, including reservists with an accepted service-related injury or condition
  • a Commonwealth veteran with a service-related injury or condition accepted by your country of service.

Read more about compensation claims

Mental health

A White Card may also provide fully funded mental health treatment. This is known as non-liability health care . It means you do not need to prove that your ADF service caused these conditions.

You may be eligible if you have done any of the below, including as a reservist:

  • served for at least one day of continuous full-time service (CFTS) with the ADF
  • participated in disaster relief service,
  • participated in border protection service
  • were involved in a serious service-related training accident.

CFTS includes:

  • full-time service in the permanent ADF
  • a reservist who was formally designated by Defence to be on full-time service
  • a reservist who was called out for full-time service under the Defence Act.

For reservists a change to CFTS would also include changes to their pay and conditions of service. CFTS does not include training or activities on reserve service days.

Non-Liability Health Care

Cancer or pulmonary tuberculosis

Veterans with certain types of service may be eligible for a White Card to cover non-liability health care for cancer (malignant neoplasm) or pulmonary tuberculosis.

Cancer (malignant neoplasm) or pulmonary tuberculosis

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How to apply for your White Card

In some cases, if we know you are eligible, we will send you a White Card automatically. Such as when we accept your service-related injury or condition.

If you don't yet have a White Card you can apply for one through any of the below:

Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) for assistance.

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What you can receive

The White Card covers you for clinically required medical treatment in Australia for your eligible conditions.

Medical treatment is usually free if you see a provider who accepts your White Card. There may be some out of pocket expenses for high cost dental items. Treatment may be from:

  • hospital or day procedure facility
  • an allied health professional
  • a general practitioner (GP) or specialist
  • a dental or optical professional
  • community nursing; and
  • pathology and medical imaging

When buying prescription items, you will need to pay $7.70 for each item until you reach your Safety Net Threshold for the calendar year.

You may also be able to receive some free or low cost services and support like:

Some co-payments apply if you receive help at home through our Veterans' Home Care program.

As an Australian veteran, the help and care services from Veterans' Home Care are not just based on the conditions on your White Card.

For Commonwealth veterans, the services you get might be different from those that Australian veterans receive.

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How you use it

As the White Card can provide you with a range of benefits and services, the way you use yours may vary.

You can show your physical card or the digital version available via MyService. You can also add your White Card to your myGov wallet, in the myGov app.

When you use your White Card for medical treatment:

  1. Tell your health provider that you have a White Card and ask them if they will accept this for your treatment.
  2. They may ask if you have a referral or what conditions you have on your card.
  3. They may call us to confirm your conditions.
  4. In some cases they may need to get prior approval from us.
  5. Your provider will then tell you if they can accept your White Card.

When using your White Card, it may help you if you have confirmation from us showing what conditions you have on your White Card. You can get this information by:

Getting treatment

  • If you visit your doctor for a prescription, show them your White Card so they can prescribe your items through the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS).
  • You also need to show your White Card to pharmacy staff when you take your prescription to the counter. If you do not show your card, you may be charged more, and it may not count towards your Safety Net Threshold under the RPBS.
  • Your White Card is valid anywhere in Australia, but not overseas. You may claim reimbursement for overseas treatment of service-related conditions.
  • If you get a bill for medical treatment in Australia, do not pay it. Please contact us. If you have paid for medical treatment, you may be able to apply for a one-off reimbursement.
  • If you choose to be treated as a Medicare or private patient, we will not pay for any out of pocket expenses.
  • We may not cover treatment if you are entitled to compensation or damages from another party for an injury or condition.

Health care while in the ADF

If you are a current full time ADF member, you should receive your health care in the first instance through ADF health care arrangements. We may fund your health care in some cases, if:

  • we and the ADF agree that it is appropriate that we provide care such as when you are transitioning out of the ADF
  • you are eligible for non-liability health care.

If you get a White Card after leaving the ADF and qualify for mental health treatment, you can start getting help right away for any mental health issues, including problems with alcohol or drugs.

If you are a current reservist or cadet, you can still access treatment from DVA while you are serving.

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Things you should know

Your White Card's expiry date is shown on the front of the card. You will receive a replacement card approximately 1 month before the expiry.

A digital version of your White Card is available in MyService. You can also add your White Card to your myGov wallet, in the myGov app.

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What to tell us

You should tell us if your White Card is lost or stolen by either:

You should receive your replacement card within 4 weeks of ordering.

You should also let us know if you change address either by:

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