Wedding Central Forum

Hi All,

just wondering about adding names to medicare, my DH and I both have seperate medicare cards, now that we are hitched, are we legally required by law to put both of our names in 1 card? How does that affect us in terms of tax?

just not so sure... any inputs are much appreciated. thanks

apk

Here is the form for the change of medicare

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/pub ... 0_0307.pdf

Its better to put both of your names to one cards as it will affect your medicare threshold in what you can claim.

Makes sure you take ID of your other half if going alone so they can do the paperwork and give you a new card

I agree with everything manda said!

Definately go onto one card together, it will affect your tax free threshold (in a good way!)

I didn't even need my formal certificate to change mine, we just went in to medicare with our 'presentation' certificate and the lady at medicare did it all for us then and there. The easiest name change that I have done!

thanks manda and dandelion,

do you both havd to go in to medicare together or maybe I can just bring in my DH's card?

I went in on my own without DH's medicare card. All I took was his ID

thanks for this post ladies!

this will help me when the time comes!

Dandelion wrote:

I didn't even need my formal certificate to change mine, we just went in to medicare with our 'presentation' certificate and the lady at medicare did it all for us then and there. The easiest name change that I have done!

Same

I took a photocopy of our Mariage Cert, but noooo they wanted the original.

There is no legal obligation to do so, but as others have pointed out, there are many benefits.

I thought the tax thresholds applied to de facto spouses as well - so if you have been living together prior to marraige, whether your name is on one card or not, the actual marraige wouldn't make any difference....? Even if you are a de facto couple, (as opposed to married) you should be declaring your spouse's income, etc at tax time.

Good to know it is easy enough to change your name with Medicare though.

Scarlett wrote:

I thought the tax thresholds applied to de facto spouses as well - so if you have been living together prior to marraige, whether your name is on one card or not, the actual marraige wouldn't make any difference....? Even if you are a de facto couple, (as opposed to married) you should be declaring your spouse's income, etc at tax time.

Good to know it is easy enough to change your name with Medicare though.

I'm not money minded at all, but yes, you are right, DH and I always declared each other's incomes before we were married, I just know that the medicare lady said it would mean that we'd 'get more money back' somehow But I am definately not the right person to ask on how it works or what the actual benefit is!

Its the Safetynet Benefit thatyou get quicker for being on the same card.

Good to know just about to do it all... as far as defcto goes my accountant didnt want to know about my husbands returns last year just this year if we want!