Enrolment with a primary health care provider

A client getting Emergency Maintenance Allowance must take all reasonable steps to enrol their child or children with a primary health care provider. This means being enrolled with a registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or a medical practice that is part of a Primary Health Organisation.

Taking 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

Note the client must provide evidence if the medical practice cannot enrol the child because of shortages.

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

• children included in the client’s main benefit and
• children the client is getting Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Childs Benefit for

Most children will already be enrolled with a primary health care 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).