This is about whether you have to pay a Medicare levy surcharge.
Essentials
The Medicare levy surcharge (MLS) is in addition to the Medicare levy.
You may have to pay MLS for any period during the income year that:
- you, your spouse, or any of your dependants did not have an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover, and
- income for MLS purposes (including your spouse's income if relevant) is above the relevant thresholds.
Depending on your income for MLS purposes, the MLS rate is either 1%, 1.25% or 1.5% of:
- your taxable income
- your total reportable fringe benefits, and
- any amount on which family trust distribution tax has been paid.
Based on the information in your tax return, we will work out and apply any Medicare levy surcharge for you.
Your private health insurance policy details
The law has changed regarding the way insurers provide you with private health insurance details. It is now optional for registered health insurers to provide you with a private health insurance statement. A statement may only be provided if you request one from your registered health insurer.
If needed, it is suggested that you obtain your statement information via your health insurer's web site. Most sites will advise you how to log on to view or request your statement information.
Completing this section
Note: If you are an overseas visitor, for more information and instructions on how to complete the Private health insurance and this section, see Overseas visitors.
If you and all your dependants were covered by a private health insurance policy for part (but not all) of 2018–19, you may need the number of days you and your dependants were covered by an appropriate level of health cover.
The following steps will provide us the information we need in this section to work out your Medicare levy surcharge for you.
- Answer the question Were you and all your dependants covered by an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019?
If Yes, go to step 4.
If No, go to step 2.
Note: We may have populated this based on information you previously provided to us. Check and correct if necessary. - If your income for MLS purposes is below the threshold for your circumstances, myTax may advise you that you do not have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge.
If this occurs, go to step 4
Otherwise, go to step 3. - Work out and enter the Number of days you do not have to pay the surcharge.
- If you do not have to pay the surcharge because you were in a Medicare levy surcharge exemption category for the whole of 2018–19, enter 365.
- If you have to pay the surcharge for part of the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, enter the number of days for which you do not have to pay the surcharge. For some examples, see:
- If you have to pay the surcharge the whole period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, enter 0
- You have completed the Medicare levy surcharge section. If you had private patient hospital cover for any part of the year, go to the Private health insurance section.
If you are liable for MLS only because your spouse has shown a lump sum payment in arrears in Foreign income or Other income section on their tax return, you may be entitled to a tax offset up to the amount of MLS you have to pay. We will calculate the tax offset for you.
At Spouse details in the Spouse section, you will need to:
- answer Yes to the question Did your spouse receive a lump sum payment in arrears during the 2018–19 and is your combined income for Medicare levy surcharge purposes over $180,000 (plus $1,500 for each dependent child after the first)?
- enter your spouse's address.