Veterans Knowledge HubGold Card & additional benefits
Everything the Veteran Gold Card (Veteran Card – All Conditions) can pay for, in one table, with the current limits, how often you can use each benefit and how to access it.
Also in this area
You've received a Veteran Gold Card — now what? Treatment & your Veteran Card (White Card) Find a practitioner who accepts DVA What could I be eligible for? Back to the journeyQuick answer
EditorialAll conditions, Australia-wide
OfficialThe Gold Card pays for clinically required treatment for all medical conditions in Australia, if the provider accepts the card.
Main caps to know
OfficialDental: $5,980.30 for high-cost items over 1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2027. Glasses: every 2 years. Respite: 28 days or 196 hours per financial year.
Travel rate
OfficialFrom 1 July 2026, private car travel to treatment is reimbursed at 68 cents per km, plus parking and tolls.
Benefits at a glance
Official
| Benefit | What it means | Limits / caps / frequency | How to access | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP and specialists | Clinically needed GP and specialist care for all conditions. | No set number of visits. Some items need prior approval. | Ask the provider if they accept the card. Specialists need a GP referral. | Details |
| Hospital (public and private) | Admitted treatment in public hospitals and DVA-contracted private hospitals and day procedure centres (nearly 550 private facilities). | Your specialist checks the private hospital is contracted with DVA. A daily patient contribution can apply for nursing-home-type patients after 35 days. | Through your treating specialist. | Details |
| Allied health (physio, chiro, osteo, psychology, podiatry, OT, dietitian, exercise physiology and more) | Clinically needed allied health treatment. | Treatment cycle: each referral covers 12 sessions or 1 year, whichever ends first. You can have unlimited cycles if clinically needed. TPI holders are exempt for physio and exercise physiology. | GP referral (or a specialist or hospital discharge planner). | Details |
| Mental health | All mental health conditions, including psychiatrist, psychologist and hospital admissions. | As clinically needed. Allied mental health is under the treatment cycle. | GP referral. Gold Card holders are already covered. | Details |
| Dental | Check-ups, cleaning, fillings, crowns, dentures and treatment from hygienists and therapists. | Check-ups usually every 6 months. Dentures relined every 2 years and replaced every 6 years. Biennial Monetary Limit (two-year cap) of $5,980.30 on high-cost items from 1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2027. Ex-POWs, service-related conditions and jaw or teeth cancer are exempt. | Book with a dentist who accepts the card. No referral needed. | Details |
| Optical | Eye tests and glasses. | 1 test every 3 years (under 65) or every year (65+). Every 2 years: 1 pair of multifocals, or 1 pair of reading and 1 pair of distance glasses. You pay the extra for frames outside the funded range. Polarised sunglasses are usually not funded. | Any optometrist registered as a DVA provider. Take your prescription to an optical dispenser that accepts the card. | Details |
| Hearing | Hearing aids, assistive listening devices, tinnitus program and cochlear maintenance. | Fully subsidised devices, batteries, repairs and maintenance through the HSP. Devices with a cost need approval before you buy. Devices bought without approval are not reimbursed. | Hearing provider through the Hearing Services Program (1800 500 726). | Details |
| Pharmacy (RPBS) | Subsidised medicines, wound care items and nutritional supplements. | $7.70 per item. Concessional Safety Net threshold is $277.20 (calendar year 2026). After that, items are usually free for the rest of the year (lowest-priced brand). | Show your card to the doctor and the pharmacy. | Details |
| Aids, equipment and home modifications (RAP) | Mobility aids, beds, oxygen, personal alarms, continence products, assistance dogs, and ramps, rails and lifts at home or in the car. | Based on clinical need and prescription. Delivered and installed by DVA contractors at no cost. Some items need DVA approval. | See your GP, who may refer you to an OT or other health professional. | Details |
| Veterans' Home Care (VHC) | Domestic help, personal care, home and garden maintenance, and respite. | Personal care about 1.5 hrs/week as a guide. Garden and home up to 15 hrs per 12 months. Co-payment $5/hr: capped at $5/week (domestic), $10/week (personal care) and $75 per 12 months (garden). You can apply for a waiver. | Call the VHC assessment agency on 1300 550 450. Reassessed every 6 months. | Details |
| Respite care | A break for your carer: in-home, residential or emergency. | Per financial year: 196 hours in-home or 28 days residential, or a combination (7 hrs = 1 day). Emergency respite (ESTHR) up to 216 hrs, 72 hrs per episode. No cost within these limits. | VHC on 1300 550 450. For residential respite you also need a My Aged Care assessment (1800 200 422). | Details |
| Community nursing | Clinically required nursing and personal care at home, such as wound care, medication help, showering and palliative care. | As assessed. No cost from DVA-contracted providers. | Through your GP or another health provider. | Details |
| Travel for treatment | Reimbursement for getting to the place where appropriate treatment is available (PWATA, the nearest suitable approved provider). | From 1 July 2026: private car 68c/km plus parking and tolls. Full public transport and taxi fares to the PWATA. Meals $19.10 (101–400 km round trip), $38.80 (400 km+), $108.50 with an overnight stay. Private accommodation $59.60/night. Commercial accommodation up to ATO guide rates (for example Brisbane $188). | Claim in MyService with receipts. | Details |
| Booked Car with Driver (BCWD) | DVA-arranged taxi or hire car with no out-of-pocket cost. | Gold Card holders aged 80+, legally blind, living with dementia or receiving TPI, EDA, ADA or SRDP. Under 80: you must have a listed medical condition. | Book in MyService or by phone. | Details |
| Veterans' Health Check | A 45-minute comprehensive health check with your GP. | One-off check (any former ADF member with 1+ day of continuous full-time service). Annual check every year for the first 5 years after transition, if you left from 1 July 2019. No charge with your card. | Book a 45-minute GP appointment. | Details |
| Coordinated Veterans' Care (CVC) | Care coordination by your GP and a nurse for chronic conditions. | Gold Card holders with chronic conditions and complex needs who are at risk of unplanned hospitalisation and live in the community. | Ask your GP if you're eligible. | Details |
| Open Arms counselling | Free, confidential counselling, group programs and peer support for you and your family. | Anyone with 1+ day of continuous full-time service, and their families. Available 24/7. | Call 1800 011 046. | Details |
| Funeral assistance | Help with funeral costs. | MRCA rates (from 1 July 2026): high rate $15,530.09 and low rate $3,000. The lower rate is paid automatically where a veteran is auto-entitled. You can claim up to the high rate if eligible. | Form D2053 (MRCA). See the funeral pages for VEA auto-grants. | Details |
Limits are checked against official DVA pages as at 2 October 2026. Rates are indexed, so check the linked page before relying on a figure.
Source: DVA – Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card); DVA – Dental services; DVA – Optical services; DVA – Veterans' Home Care (VHC); DVA – Respite care; DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – Compensation payment rates for MRCA
Who has a Gold Card
Official
Examples include veterans aged 70 or over with qualifying service, ex-prisoners of war, MRCA veterans getting or eligible for SRDP (Special Rate Disability Pension) or ADA (Additional Disablement Amount) or assessed at 60+ impairment points, and VEA veterans on 100% or more of the general rate. Some dependants and war widow(er)s also qualify. From 1 July 2026, former DRCA veterans with 60+ points may qualify under the MRCA if they have a new MRCA condition or their impairment rises by 5+ points.
If you think you're eligible but haven't got a card, use D3057 (ADF veterans aged 70+ with qualifying service) or see the Apply for a Gold Card page.
Source: DVA – Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card); DVA – Veteran Card (Veterans' Legislation Reform); DVA – Apply for a Gold Card (form page)
How to use it
Official
- Tell the provider you have the Veteran Card – All Conditions and ask if they accept it.
- Bring any referral needed (specialists and allied health).
- Some items need DVA prior approval. The provider arranges this.
- The provider bills DVA. If you get a bill, don't pay it — call 1800 838 372.
Common pitfalls
Guidance
- Going to a provider who doesn't accept the card, then being charged a gap.
- Choosing to be a private or Medicare patient — DVA won't pay the out-of-pocket costs.
- Buying hearing aids before approval. These are not reimbursed.
- Travelling past the nearest suitable provider (the PWATA) — DVA may not reimburse the full cost. Call DVA first.
- Not showing your card at the pharmacy, so the cost doesn't count to your Safety Net.
- Expecting cover overseas. The card is Australia-only.
Source: DVA – Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card); DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – Hearing services
What changed on 1 July 2026
Official
The VEA (Veterans' Entitlements Act) and DRCA closed to new claims, and new claims are assessed under the improved MRCA. DVA says existing Gold Card entitlements and how treatment is provided don't change. Travel for treatment moved to MRCA rules (68c/km), and funeral expenses now have a lower and a higher rate.
Source: DVA – Veteran Card (Veterans' Legislation Reform); DVA – VEA veterans (Legislation Reform); DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – Help to pay for a funeral
Review rights
Official
If a request is refused (for example a RAP item, a travel claim or prior approval), ask DVA for the reasons. You can seek a review through the single review pathway.
Source: DVA – Single review pathway
Common situations & what helps
Guidance
Common situations veterans run into, and practical steps that may help. This is general guidance, not a promise of an outcome. Always check the official rule linked under each one.
Close to 60 impairment points
The situation: Your combined MRCA impairment rating is just under 60 points.
What helps: A rating of 60 or more points under the MRCA may make you eligible for a Gold Card. If a condition gets worse, or a new condition is accepted, your rating may rise. Ask DVA how this works for your accepted conditions.
Official rule: DVA – Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card)
70 or older with qualifying service
The situation: You're 70 or older, have qualifying service, and don't have a Gold Card.
What helps: Veterans aged 70 or over with qualifying service may be eligible. If you think you are and haven't got a card, DVA has an application form for a Gold Card.
Official rule: DVA – Apply for a Gold Card
A provider asks you to pay
The situation: You showed your Gold Card, but the provider asked you to pay a bill or gap.
What helps: Ask before treatment whether the provider accepts the Veteran Card. If they do, they bill DVA. If you get a bill, don't pay it straight away; call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) first.
Official rule: DVA – Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card)
Official sources
Official
- dva.gov.auDVA – Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – GP and medical specialist servicesView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Hospital servicesView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Allied health treatment cycleView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Non-Liability Health Care (mental health)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Dental servicesView source
- dva.gov.auDVA Vetaffairs – Dental changes (April 2026)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Optical servicesView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Hearing servicesView source
- health.gov.auDepartment of Health – Hearing Services ProgramView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Safety Net SchemeView source
- servicesaustralia.gov.auServices Australia – PBS Safety Net thresholdsView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Veterans' Home Care (VHC)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Application for Waiver of VHC Co-paymentsView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Respite careView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Nursing help at homeView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCAView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Booked Car with Driver (BCWD)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Veterans' Health CheckView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Coordinated Veterans' Care (CVC) ProgramView source
- openarms.gov.auOpen Arms – Veterans & Families CounsellingView source
- openarms.gov.auOpen Arms – EligibilityView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Help to pay for a funeralView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Bereavement payments and funeral benefits under the VEAView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Compensation payment rates for MRCAView source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Veteran Card (Veterans' Legislation Reform)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Apply for a Gold Card (form page)View source
- dva.gov.auDVA – Single review pathwayView source
All links opened and checked 2026-10-02.