On 1 July 2025, Medicare replaced the GP Management Plan (GPMP) and Team Care Arrangements (TCA) with a single GP chronic condition management plan (GPCCMP). If you live with diabetes, asthma, heart disease, arthritis or another long-term condition, this is now the plan your GP uses to organise your care and refer you to Medicare-subsidised allied health visits.
What is a GP chronic condition management plan?
A GP chronic condition management plan is a written plan you and your GP agree on to manage a long-term condition. It sets out your health needs and goals, the care your GP will provide, the services you need from other health professionals, and the steps you can take yourself. A practice nurse can help prepare or review it, but your GP stays responsible for it.
Who is eligible?
You may be eligible if you have at least one medical condition that has been present, or is likely to be present, for at least six months, or a condition that is terminal. There is no official list of conditions; your GP uses clinical judgement to decide whether a structured plan would help.
You also no longer need care from a whole team to qualify. The Department of Health’s overview of the new framework says patients are eligible if their condition is managed by their GP, whether or not multidisciplinary care is needed.
What changed on 1 July 2025?
Two plans became one, and the paperwork between your GP and other health professionals became simpler.
| Before 1 July 2025 | From 1 July 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| The plan | A GPMP, plus a separate TCA if you needed allied health care | One GP chronic condition management plan |
| Team input | For a TCA, your GP had to consult at least two other providers | Your GP refers you to allied health directly |
| Allied health referral | A set Medicare referral form | A referral letter, like a specialist referral |
| Where you get it | Your usual GP | Your MyMedicare practice if you are registered, otherwise your usual GP |
For most patients the appointment feels similar, with fewer forms and steps before seeing a physiotherapist, podiatrist or dietitian.
Do I need to register with MyMedicare?
No, but registration decides where you get your plan. If you are registered with MyMedicare, your plan and its reviews must be done through the practice where you are registered. If you are not registered, your usual GP can prepare it.
Our article on how MyMedicare keeps you connected with your GP explains how registration works.
How do allied health visits work under the plan?
Medicare subsidises up to five individual allied health services each calendar year when they are recommended in your plan. The MBS item for physiotherapy under a chronic condition plan, for example, requires each visit to last at least 20 minutes and counts it towards that yearly limit.
The five can be one type of service or a mix, such as three physiotherapy and two podiatry visits. Your GP writes a referral letter for each provider. Two points matter before you book:
- The 18-month rule. Your plan must have been prepared or reviewed in the previous 18 months to keep using subsidised allied health visits.
- Gap fees. Allied health providers set their own fees. Medicare pays a rebate towards each eligible visit, but you may still pay something, so ask before your appointment.
Physiotherapy, podiatry and dietitian appointments are available on site through our allied health services.
What if I already had a GPMP or TCA?
You do not need to do anything straight away. Under the transition arrangements for existing patients, a GPMP or TCA in place before 1 July 2025 still gives you access to allied health services until 30 June 2027, and referrals written before that date stay valid until all their services are used.
The old review items have stopped, so when your plan next needs reviewing, your GP will move you onto the new plan. From 1 July 2027, you will need a GP chronic condition management plan to keep accessing allied health visits through Medicare.
How often is the plan reviewed?
Your GP can review the plan as often as every three months when it is clinically useful. You do not need a brand new plan every year; an existing plan can keep being reviewed.
At a review your GP checks progress against your goals, looks at results and medicines, and updates referrals. For someone with diabetes, that might bring together blood tests, foot checks and dietitian advice, the kind of coordinated care described on our diabetes management page.
Frequently asked questions
Do chronic condition management plans expire?
A GP chronic condition management plan does not need to be rewritten every year, but it must be prepared or reviewed at least once every 18 months for you to keep accessing Medicare-subsidised allied health visits. Older GPMPs and TCAs made before 1 July 2025 can be used until 30 June 2027.
Can my plan be done by telehealth?
Yes. Medicare has items for preparing and reviewing a GP chronic condition management plan by video as well as face to face. Your GP will decide whether video suits you, as some parts of chronic condition care, such as checking blood pressure or feet, need an in-person visit.
Does the plan cost anything?
Medicare pays a rebate for preparing and reviewing a plan. Whether you pay anything depends on how the practice bills the appointment, so check when you book. Allied health providers set their own fees and may charge a gap above the Medicare rebate. The billing page explains how the practice bills its services.
Chronic condition care in Warrawong
If you live with a long-term condition, start with your regular GP. King Street Medical in Warrawong can help you register with MyMedicare and set up or review your chronic condition management plan, with physiotherapy, podiatry and dietitian services in the same building. This article is general information only, so talk to your GP about what suits your situation.