Funding
Medicare Care Plans
Eligible clients can use a Medicare care plan for a limited number of allied health sessions each year, with a rebate on the session fee.
How it works
- Your GP decides whether you are eligible and prepares a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan, sometimes called an EPC or care plan
- The plan can cover up to five allied health sessions per calendar year in total, across all allied health providers
- Medicare pays a set rebate per session; a gap between that rebate and our fee usually applies, which you pay
- A new GP referral is needed each calendar year, and the five-session count resets on 1 January
Getting started
- Book a longer GP appointment and ask whether a CDM plan is appropriate
- Ask the GP to name the provider type on the referral (speech pathology or occupational therapy)
- Bring the referral and plan to your first appointment, or send them ahead
- We claim the Medicare rebate on the day where possible, so you are only out of pocket for the gap
Is Medicare the right option?
Five sessions a year is enough for a review or a short block of work, but not for ongoing therapy. If more support is likely, it is worth also looking at NDIS eligibility or private health extras cover. We can help you think it through.