500,000 CUSTOMERS ACCESS FAMILY ASSISTANCE VIA MEDICARE AUSTRALIA
The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock MP announced that the Federal government has welcomed the 500,000th customer accessing Family Assistance services, which are now available in all 238 Medicare Australia offices nationwide.
Family Assistance services, which have traditionally been provided by Centrelink, provide customers with the opportunity to process claims for the Maternity Payment, Maternity Immunisation Allowance, Child Care Benefits and Family Tax Benefits.
Enabling Family Assistance to be accessed via Medicare Australia is intended to make life easier for constituents and those who find it more convenient to visit a Medicare shopfront than a Centrelink office.
“People appreciate the convenience and friendly service available at Medicare offices. That great service has now been enjoyed by half a million people needing Family Assistance services who have been able to get them at their local Medicare office," Mr Ruddock said.
“It is one of the many ways in which this government is making it quicker and easier for Australians to do business with us.”
"The Australian Government is leading the way in providing faster, easier services to families and individuals, and using Medicare offices for Family Assistance is just one of them," Philip Ruddock said.
"From mid-2007 people will be able to lodge claims and receive benefits straight into their bank account via an EFTPOS system at their doctor’s surgery. Electronic Medicare claiming will deliver greater convenience to Australians, and will give Medicare office staff more time to help the public with more complex inquiries.
“Medicare offices are diversifying the services they offer and are now providing a much wider range of face-to-face services than ever before,” Philip Ruddock said.