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Bulk Billing Dietitian: What Medicare Covers

Medicare rebates dietitian visits only under a care plan from your usual GP: $63.40 per session, up to 5 shared sessions a year. Here is the pathway, step by step.

Does Medicare cover a dietitian, and how do I get the rebate?

Yes, through a GP care plan. Your usual GP prepares a chronic condition management plan for a condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, 6 months or more with complex care needs (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and chronic gut conditions are common examples), then refers you to an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Medicare rebates $63.40 per session (MBS item 10954, from 1 July 2026) for up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across the plan, per Services Australia. Dietitians who bulk bill accept the rebate as full payment.

The plan must come from your MyMedicare practice or usual GP, so NewDoc does not prepare it. A NewDoc GP can still help with the condition behind it, bulk billed: $0 if you are Medicare eligible.

Who prepares the plan

Medicare requires the plan, its reviews and the dietitian referral to come from the practice you are registered with under MyMedicare, or from your usual GP, the one who provides most of your care. NewDoc is a telehealth service most people use alongside their regular practice, so NewDoc does not prepare care plans. Book a longer appointment with the practice you normally attend and say it is about a chronic condition management plan; our care plan guide covers what to ask for.

When a dietitian belongs on a care plan

Dietetic care earns its place on a chronic condition management plan when food is part of managing the disease. Type 2 diabetes is the clearest case: structured dietary support is a core part of blood glucose management in Australian practice. High cholesterol and heart disease, chronic kidney disease (where protein and salt targets matter), coeliac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome managed with a dietitian-supervised FODMAP approach are other common reasons a GP refers. The GP decides during the consult whether your condition and goals fit the framework.

What a dietitian visit costs

Private dietitian consultations are typically longer for the first visit, and fees vary by clinic. Under a care plan, Medicare rebates $63.40 per session: a bulk billing dietitian accepts that as full payment ($0 to you), while others charge a gap above it. Without a plan there is no Medicare rebate, though private health extras with dietetic cover can apply. The plan must have been prepared or reviewed within the last 18 months for referrals to remain valid.

How to find a bulk billing dietitian near you

Ask directly when booking: do you bulk bill care plan sessions? Dietitians Australia's Find a Dietitian directory lists Accredited Practising Dietitians by suburb and telehealth availability, and the healthdirect service finder covers community options. Hospital outpatient and community health centre dietetic clinics run in most regions at low or no cost, usually prioritising diabetes, kidney, and cardiac patients.

How NewDoc fits in

NewDoc is a telehealth GP service, not a dietetics clinic, and the care plan comes from your usual GP, so NewDoc does not prepare it. Where a NewDoc GP can help is the condition behind the referral: type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or weight and metabolic health reviews by video, blood test referrals, medication questions, and specialist referrals where needed, bulk billed, $0 if you are Medicare eligible. You can see any dietitian privately without a referral; NewDoc has no commercial arrangement with any allied health provider.

References

This content is informational and does not replace individual medical advice. For personal assessment, book a consultation with your GP. In emergencies, call 000.

Reviewed by Dr. Jason Yu FRACGP

Last reviewed 5 September 2026. Editorial policy

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Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare cover seeing a dietitian?

Yes, but only under a GP chronic condition management plan. If your GP assesses that a chronic condition (6 months or longer) involves complex care needs that dietetic care should be part of, they can refer you, and Medicare rebates $63.40 per session (MBS item 10954, from 1 July 2026) for up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across all allied health services on your plan.

Which conditions qualify for a Medicare dietitian referral?

It is the GP's clinical call rather than a fixed list, but common examples include type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol, obesity when managed as a chronic condition, chronic kidney disease, coeliac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. The condition generally needs to have lasted, or be expected to last, 6 months or more, and involve complex care needs: broadly, care from other health professionals alongside your GP.

Do dietitians bulk bill?

Some do, some charge a gap: it is each provider's choice. A bulk billing dietitian accepts the $63.40 Medicare rebate as full payment for a care plan session, so you pay $0. Others charge their standard fee and you claim the rebate back. Ask when booking, and mention a concession card if you hold one, since many clinics bulk bill concession patients.

What is the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

In Australia 'nutritionist' is not a regulated title, so anyone can use it. Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) complete an accredited university degree and ongoing professional standards through Dietitians Australia, and only eligible dietitians can provide Medicare-rebated services under a care plan. If the Medicare rebate matters to you, confirm the provider is an APD.

Can I get a dietitian referral through a telehealth GP?

Not for Medicare-rebated sessions. The plan and referral that unlock the rebate must come from the practice you are registered with under MyMedicare, or from your usual GP, so NewDoc does not prepare plans or issue plan-based referrals. If your own practice offers video appointments, the plan consult can happen by video through them (MBS item 92029; there is no phone item). You can see a dietitian privately without any referral, and many dietitians consult by telehealth themselves.

Are there extra Medicare-funded dietitian services for type 2 diabetes?

Yes. Beyond the 5 individual allied health sessions, Medicare has separate group services items for people with type 2 diabetes, covering GP-referred group education programs run by dietitians, exercise physiologists, and diabetes educators. The GP who manages your plan can advise whether a group program suits your situation alongside or instead of individual sessions.

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