What to Do After a Serious Diagnosis in Australia

A serious diagnosis arrives with a long list of questions attached — about work, money, treatment, and what comes next. Almost none of it needs to be sorted today. This guide lays out the practical steps in the order they tend to matter, so you can take them one at a time. If you'd rather have a plan built around your situation, answer a few questions and we'll build one around you →

First, get the information clear

Before making any decisions, make sure you understand what you've actually been told. Ask your specialist or GP to write down the diagnosis, the proposed treatment plan, and the likely timeline. Ask who is coordinating your care and how to reach them — many conditions have a specialist nurse or care coordinator as your main contact between appointments.

You are entitled to a second opinion; asking for one is normal and will not offend anyone. Where you can, take someone with you to appointments. A second set of ears helps when you're taking in difficult news, and a written list of questions beforehand makes the time more useful.

Your work

You decide what you tell your employer and when. You are not required to disclose the name of your diagnosis — only that you have a health condition affecting your work, if and when you need leave or adjustments.

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, most employees are entitled to 10 days' paid personal/carer's leave per year, and it accumulates year to year if unused — so you may have more available than you expect. Check your employment agreement or award for your specific entitlement.

If your diagnosis affects how you work, you can request reasonable adjustments — modified duties, reduced hours, flexible scheduling, or working from home. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 prohibits an employer from dismissing you or treating you adversely because of a disability or illness. Put any agreed arrangements in writing.

For employment advice, the Fair Work Commission provides free guidance: fairwork.gov.au or call 13 13 94.

If you can't work

If your diagnosis means you can't work — temporarily or permanently — Services Australia (Centrelink) may be able to help. Apply through myGov at my.gov.au or call Services Australia on 132 850.

• JobSeeker Payment — a fortnightly income support payment for people who are temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury. It is income- and assets-tested. You'll need a medical certificate from your doctor, and the payment is reviewed regularly.
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) — for people with a permanent physical, intellectual, or psychiatric condition that substantially reduces their ability to work (15 or more hours per week). The assessment is more rigorous than JobSeeker and includes a Job Capacity Assessment. If you may eventually qualify but don't yet, start with JobSeeker while your condition is assessed.

Medicare and specialist costs

Medicare covers GP visits, specialist consultations (with a GP referral), diagnostic tests, and treatment as a public patient in a public hospital. You will need a referral from your GP to see a specialist under Medicare.

For private specialist consultations, a gap between the Medicare rebate and the doctor's fee is common. Ask the specialist's practice about fees before your appointment. If your out-of-pocket costs accumulate during the year, the Medicare Safety Net increases the Medicare rebate for subsequent out-of-pocket costs above the threshold — Services Australia tracks this automatically for you.

If you hold private health insurance, check what your policy covers for hospital and extras — treatment costs, prostheses, and allied health services vary significantly between funds and tiers.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

The PBS subsidises the cost of many prescription medicines, including most medicines used to treat serious conditions. You pay a co-payment — either the general rate or the lower concessional rate (if you hold a concession card such as a Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card).

The PBS Safety Net applies once your total co-payments in a calendar year reach a threshold: after that point, PBS medicines are free for concession card holders, and the general rate drops substantially. Your pharmacy keeps track of your running total — ask them where you sit, and make sure all your PBS prescriptions are recorded at the same pharmacy to ensure the threshold is tracked accurately.

Not all medicines are PBS-listed. If a medicine your specialist recommends is not subsidised, ask whether a PBS-listed alternative is suitable.

Your superannuation

Superannuation cannot usually be accessed before retirement age, but two early-release pathways may be available after a serious diagnosis. Both are strictly regulated.

Compassionate grounds early release — administered by the ATO through myGov. Grounds include: paying for medical treatment or medical transport that you cannot otherwise afford; modifying your home or vehicle to accommodate a disability; or preventing your mortgage lender from foreclosing on your home. The ATO assesses each application and approves a specific amount — you then contact your super fund to release it.

Severe financial hardship early release — administered directly by your super fund. You generally need to have been receiving eligible government income support payments continuously for 26 weeks and be unable to meet reasonable immediate living expenses. Contact your fund to apply.

Separately, check your super fund for default insurance cover. Most Australians have life insurance and TPD (total and permanent disability) insurance included in their super by default — many don't know it's there. Log in to your fund's member portal or call them to check what cover you hold and how to make a claim.

Check your other insurance

Beyond super, check any standalone policies you hold. Don't cancel or change any cover while you're checking — some policies pay out on diagnosis itself, and cancelling now could forfeit an entitlement.

• Income protection — replaces a portion of your income while illness stops you working. Check the waiting period and the benefit period in your policy.
• Trauma or critical illness cover — pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a listed condition, regardless of whether you can still work.
• Total and permanent disability (TPD) — pays if your condition permanently prevents you from working. Check whether your policy covers your own occupation or any occupation.
• Mortgage protection — meets your home-loan repayments while you're unable to work.

Contact each insurer to ask whether your diagnosis triggers a claim. If you're unsure which policies you hold, check old payslips for group scheme deductions, and contact any previous super funds you may have.

The NDIS — who it's for

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funded support — therapy, daily living assistance, community access, equipment — for people with a permanent and significant disability. It is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which is separate from Services Australia and Centrelink.

Not all diagnoses qualify. To be eligible, your condition must cause a permanent impairment that substantially reduces your functional capacity. Many people with serious illnesses don't meet this threshold, particularly if the condition is treatable or fluctuating. If you think you might qualify, speak with your GP or specialist about whether your situation meets the permanent impairment criteria before applying.

The NDIS provides supports and services — it is not income support. If you need income support while unable to work, that is handled through Centrelink's JobSeeker Payment or Disability Support Pension, regardless of whether you also receive NDIS funding.

Sort the practical paperwork while you're well

This is about keeping control in your own hands, not preparing for the worst. Two documents are worth putting in place while you're well enough to make decisions:

• Enduring Power of Attorney — authorises someone you trust to manage your financial affairs if you're ever unable to. Powers of attorney are state and territory-based in Australia, and the laws and document names vary: in NSW it's the Enduring Power of Attorney; in VIC the same term covers both financial and personal matters; in QLD the Enduring Power of Attorney covers both; other states and territories have their own frameworks. Get advice from a solicitor or your state's Public Trustee for the requirements in your state.
• Medical power of attorney or enduring guardianship — authorises someone to make health and lifestyle decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity. Again, this is state-based: NSW has a separate Appointment of Enduring Guardian; other states combine personal and financial authority in a single document. Ask a local solicitor or community legal centre for guidance.
• A will, if you don't have one or it's out of date.

You may also wish to complete an advance care directive (called an Advance Care Plan in some states) — a written record of your wishes about future medical treatment. Your GP or specialist can point you to the forms for your state.

Support and free financial advice

• Cancer Council Australia — 13 11 20. Free information and support for people affected by cancer, including financial and practical assistance.
• Condition-specific organisations — most major conditions have a national body offering support, information, and sometimes grants. Contact the one relevant to your diagnosis.
• National Debt Helpline — 1800 007 007. Free financial counselling from trained counsellors, including help with lender hardship applications and managing costs during a health crisis.
• MoneySmart (ASIC) — moneysmart.gov.au. Free tools and guidance on managing money, insurance decisions, and financial choices during difficult periods.
• Community legal centres — free legal advice for people who cannot afford a private solicitor. Find your nearest centre at communitylegalcentres.org.au.