‘Good news’: Aussies owed more than $241m in unpaid Medicare benefits

Australians have been urged to update their bank details in order to cash in after hundreds of millions of dollars have gone unclaimed.

Thousands of Australians are owed more than $241m in Medicare benefits which have gone unclaimed due to outdated bank details.

About 200 people are owed more than $10,000, while the average Australian is owed about $260.

Young people seem to be owed the most, with more than $52m owed to more than 224,000 Aussies aged between 18 and 24.

Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Government Services Bill Shorten said Aussies need to update their details through Medicare to claim the unpaid benefits.

Bill Shorten has urged Australians to update their bank details through Medicare. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We know a bit of extra money is always welcome in the lead up to the holidays – so there’s no better time than now to check if your bank details with Medicare are current, and if you have any unpaid benefits,” Mr Shorten said.

“With everyone doing it tough due to cost of living, this is good news for nearly a million Aussies from all walks of life all over Australia.”

Mr Shorten said it takes less than a minute to update details through the Medicare service on the myGov app or online Medicare account, with Services Australia able to pay the benefits back within three days.

Services Australia paid nearly $30bn in benefits last financial year.

“All up, we’ve reunited over half a million Australians with $117 million in unpaid Medicare benefits since December 2023,” Mr Shorten said.

“Services Australia is in the process of sending over half a million notifications to people’s myGov inbox asking them to update their details.

“If you’re updating your details through myGov, sign in to my.gov.au or use the official app, and remember Services Australia never asks you to open a link in a text message or email.”