Interested in a cool $150? Update your Medicare account details
Medicare customers are being urged to update their bank account details to see if they’re entitled to a share of more than $110 million in unclaimed rebates. Here’s how to do so online in a few minutes.
And no, this is not one of those pesky scams doing the rounds! But we’ll touch upon that later.
The government released an interesting stat this week: almost 670,000 people have not provided Medicare with their bank details, which has resulted in more than $110 million in unclaimed rebates.
As such, the average amount owed to each individual is about $150 – a decent injection that could help you pay off your mortgage, an upcoming bill, or a nice Valentine’s Day dinner!
Some people are missing out on far more – and often they’re the people who need it most – if they are regular visitors to their doctor or have had treatment for a serious medical condition. So make sure you let your friends and loved ones know too.
Minister for Health Greg Hunt put out a statement this week encouraging residents to update their bank account details so they could start receiving their cash rebates.
“It only takes a couple of minutes, and the easiest way to update your details is by using one of the Australian Government’s digital channels, such as the Medicare Express Plus app, or through your myGov account,” he says.
Is that it?
Yup, that’s it.
Once you’ve logged into your account and updated your details Mr Hunt says Medicare will take care of the rest.
“The money you’re owed will be deposited in your account in a matter of days,” he explains.
“My advice is to set aside a couple of minutes, to do what is a really simple task that will ensure you receive what you are entitled to quickly and easily.”
Be wary of scammers!
It’s not lost on us that this sounds like a scam. And guess what? There are actually scammers out there trying to take advantage of this rebate payment by getting in touch with people directly over the phone, via SMS, or email.
The scammers are posing as Medicare representatives and contacting people asking for their bank account details, so you need to remain vigilant.
To avoid falling victim: don’t click on any links in emails or texts as they may take you to a fake website. Instead, go directly to www.my.gov.au to update your account.
“As recently as late last year, scammers were actively targeting people through SMS messages, that urged them to click on a hyperlink to claim their outstanding Medicare rebates,” says Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation Michael Keenan.
“While the department does call, SMS, or email people, it never includes hyperlinks in emails or text messages.”
For more information on how to set up a Medicare online account, visit www.humanservices.gov.au/medicareonline
Social media teaser: Are your Medicare banking account details up to date? You could be entitled to a share of more than $110 million in unclaimed rebates, with the average amount $150.
