Medicare exercise physiology in Five Dock
If you have a long-term health condition, your GP can refer you for up to five exercise physiology sessions a year with a Medicare rebate.
A Chronic Disease Management plan, which you may hear called a GP Management Plan or a Team Care Arrangement, is written by your GP for people with a condition that has lasted, or is likely to last, at least six months. Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, chronic lung conditions and long-term back pain all commonly qualify.
The plan gives you five allied health sessions per calendar year in total, shared across every allied health provider you see. So if you have already used two with a podiatrist, three are left.
How to get the referral
None of this has to be sorted before you ring us. If you are partway through it and stuck, ring and we will tell you what is missing.
Book a longer appointment with your GP
Ask the receptionist for a chronic disease management plan appointment. It takes longer than a standard consultation, so it needs to be booked as one.
Ask for exercise physiology by name
GPs refer to a range of allied health, and exercise physiology is not always the first one they reach for. Say that is what you want and name the clinic.
Bring the referral to your first appointment
It is a form with your GP's provider number on it. Without it we cannot claim the Medicare rebate, though we can still see you privately.
Come back for a review
Your GP reviews the plan, usually every six months. That review is what renews the sessions for the following year.
What you will pay
Medicare pays a set rebate for each session on a chronic disease plan. It is a rebate rather than the full fee, so there is a gap to pay, and it is the same gap on each of the five sessions.
We will tell you exactly what the gap is before you book, not after. Ring the clinic and ask. If you have your plan already, we can process the Medicare rebate on the spot so you are only ever out of pocket for the gap.
You can use Medicare and private health in the same year
They are separate. What you cannot do is claim both for the same appointment. Most people use the five Medicare sessions first and then move onto extras.
Questions we get asked
How many sessions do I get?
Is there a gap to pay?
What conditions qualify?
Can I be referred by a specialist?
What if I do not have a referral yet?
Not sure whether you qualify?
Ring (02) 8054 3775 and describe your condition. We will tell you whether it is worth asking your GP for a plan, and exactly what a session will cost you.
No referral needed · Plan managed and self managed NDIS welcome · Five Dock