If you live with a chronic condition, Medicare can subsidise up to five allied health visits each calendar year, including physiotherapy, podiatry and dietetics. You need a GP chronic condition management plan, a referral from your GP, and you need to know how the five visits are counted. Much of the advice online predates the 1 July 2025 changes.
Who can get Medicare physio sessions?
You can get Medicare-subsidised physio sessions if you have a chronic medical condition and your GP has prepared a GP chronic condition management plan that recommends physiotherapy. A chronic condition is one that has been, or is likely to be, present for six months or longer, such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, heart disease or ongoing back pain.
Your GP decides eligibility when they assess you and write the plan. Podiatry, dietetics and other allied health services such as exercise physiology work the same way.
What changed in July 2025
From 1 July 2025 the GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements (the two documents many people knew as an “EPC” or “care plan”) were replaced by a single GP chronic condition management plan. Three changes matter most to patients:
- One plan instead of two. Your GP no longer needs to arrange the plan with two other providers before referring you to allied health.
- Referral letters. The old standard referral form has gone. Your GP now writes a referral letter, much like a referral to a specialist, and Diabetes Australia notes these referrals are valid for 18 months from the first service.
- Your registered practice. If you are registered with MyMedicare, your plan and its reviews are done through the practice you are registered with.
If your old plan was written before 1 July 2025, it keeps working during a transition period that runs until 30 June 2027, according to the MBS Online physiotherapy item 10960. Your GP will move you to the new plan at your next review.
How the five sessions are counted
You get up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health visits per calendar year in total, not five per discipline. The count resets on 1 January.
You can split them to suit your care. Someone with type 2 diabetes might use two with a podiatrist for foot checks and three with a dietitian. Someone recovering function after a knee problem might use all five with a physiotherapist. Your GP and the referral letter set out which services are recommended and how many visits each.
A few rules apply to every session:
- Each visit must be an individual appointment of at least 20 minutes.
- The allied health professional must be registered with Medicare to provide these services.
- The provider sends a written progress report back to your GP, so your plan stays up to date.
The Australian Physiotherapy Association notes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients can access more services each year. Ask your GP how this applies to you.
Is Medicare physio bulk billed?
Usually not. Medicare pays a set rebate for each eligible visit, and the allied health provider decides their own fee. If the fee is higher than the rebate, you pay the difference as a gap.
The rebate amount is listed on MBS Online for each service type and is generally indexed each July. Private health extras cover cannot normally be claimed on top of a Medicare rebate for the same visit, so check with your fund before deciding which way to claim.
At our Warrawong clinic, allied health appointments carry an out-of-pocket fee, and you are told about it before you book. The billing page explains how fees work across the practice.
How to start: step by step
- Book a longer GP appointment. Tell reception you want a chronic condition management plan so enough time is allowed.
- Talk through your goals. Your GP reviews your condition, medicines and what you want to improve, then records which allied health services would help.
- Get your referral letter. It names the type of service and the number of visits recommended.
- Book the allied health visit. Take the referral to your physio, podiatrist or dietitian, and claim the rebate after each visit.
- Review the plan. To keep using allied health under Medicare, your plan must have been prepared or reviewed within the past 18 months.
If you are registered with a practice through MyMedicare, start there, because that is where your plan must be written.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get five free physio sessions in Australia?
Not usually free. Medicare subsidises up to five allied health visits per calendar year when your GP has written a chronic condition management plan and referred you. The provider sets the fee and Medicare pays a rebate, so most people pay a gap. All five can go to physiotherapy, or they can be shared with podiatry, dietetics and other allied health services.
Do I need a new plan every year?
Not necessarily. The five visits reset each calendar year, but your plan needs to have been prepared or reviewed in the past 18 months to keep using allied health under Medicare. Your GP will usually suggest a review before then.
Can I use Medicare and private health insurance for the same visit?
Generally no. You can claim a Medicare rebate or a private health extras benefit for an allied health visit, but not both for the same appointment. Check the rules with your health fund before you book.
Allied health in the same building as your GP
When your GP, physiotherapist, podiatrist and dietitian work under one roof, referral letters and progress reports move quickly and it is easier to keep your plan current. Our team offers physiotherapy, podiatry and a dietitian alongside our GPs in Warrawong.
This article is general information, not personal advice. Talk with your GP about whether a chronic condition management plan suits you, then see the allied health services page to book.