Who can get it
You may be able to get financial help if you meet the eligibility for the program.
An external breast prosthesis is an artificial breast. You wear it under clothing to replace the shape of the breast.
To get a reimbursement for an external breast prosthesis, you need to have:
- enrolled in Medicare
- had breast surgery as a result of breast cancer
- not purchased and claimed under this program in the past 2 years.
You'll need to pay for your prosthesis upfront.
If you have private health insurance, make a claim through them before you claim a reimbursement from us. After you claim from your private health insurer, we’ll pay the difference.
You can claim for prostheses you bought after 1 July 2008. This applies even if you had your breast surgery before then.
If you get a payment from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, you should contact them if you need help about your claim.
You can claim on behalf of someone who has died if you’re the executor or administrator of their estate
How much you get depends on the claim you make.
Page last updated: 21 June 2019
This information was printed 26 October 2020 from https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/external-breast-prostheses-reimbursement-program/who-can-get-it. It may not include all of the relevant information on this topic. Please consider any relevant site notices at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/site-notices when using this material.