Enrolment with a primary health care provider

A client and their partner (if any) getting an Emergency Benefit must take all reasonable steps to enrol their child or children in a primary healthcare service. This means being enrolled with a registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or medical practice that is part of a Primary Health Organisation.

Taking all reasonable steps to enrol

If a client is unable to enrol their child at a practice or with a practitioner due to shortages, they can be considered to be meeting this obligation if they have a plan in place to:

• be enrolled with a practice or practitioner when a place becomes available and
• get health care for their child if the child becomes sick

The primary health care obligation applies in relation to all dependent children in the care of a client and their partner getting a main benefit. Dependent children include:

• children included in the client or their partner’s main benefit and
• children the client or partner is getting Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit for

Most children will already be enrolled with a primary healthcare provider and in most cases MSD should take the client's word that they are meeting this social obligation.

However, if MSD has information that the client may not be taking all reasonable steps to meet this social obligation, MSD may ask them to get verification.

For example, verification could be a letter from their medical practice or registered practitioner that says they are enrolled (most medical practices will send this when a client is enrolled).