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Bulk Billing Physio: How to Qualify for Medicare Rebates

Most physios are not bulk billed by default. With a care plan from your usual GP, Medicare rebates $63.40 per session for up to 5 sessions a year. Here is how the pathway works.

How do I get bulk billed or Medicare-rebated physio?

Medicare does not cover casual physio visits. The main pathway is a GP chronic condition management plan: if your condition has lasted (or is expected to last) 6 months or more and comes with complex care needs (which the GP assesses), your GP can prepare a plan and refer you for up to 5 Medicare-rebated allied health sessions per calendar year, per Services Australia. The rebate is $63.40 per physiotherapy session (MBS item 10960, from 1 July 2026). Physios who bulk bill accept that rebate as full payment, so you pay $0 for the session; others charge a gap.

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 back, neck or joint problem itself, bulk billed: $0 if you are Medicare eligible.

Who prepares the plan

Medicare requires the plan, its reviews and the physiotherapy 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.

How physio is covered by Medicare

Medicare rebates physiotherapy only through the chronic condition management framework. Your usual GP prepares a GP chronic condition management plan (MBS item 965 in the rooms, item 92029 by video telehealth) for a chronic condition with complex care needs, then issues an allied health referral. Each physiotherapy session claimed under the plan (MBS item 10960) attracts a $63.40 rebate, and Medicare covers up to 5 individual allied health sessions per calendar year in total, shared across all the allied health services on your plan. The plan needs to be in place, or reviewed, within the last 18 months for referrals to stay valid.

What a physio session costs with and without the rebate

Private physiotherapy consultations in Australia commonly cost more than the Medicare rebate, and prices vary widely by clinic and city. Three price situations are worth understanding before you book. A bulk billing physio accepts the $63.40 rebate as full payment for a care plan session: you pay $0. A gap-fee physio charges their normal fee, you claim the $63.40 back from Medicare, and the difference is your out-of-pocket cost. A private session without a care plan gets no Medicare rebate at all, though private health extras may cover part of it.

How to find a bulk billing physio near you

There is no official register of bulk billing physios, so the reliable method is to ask. When you call a clinic, the question that gets a straight answer is do you bulk bill allied health sessions under a care plan, or is there a gap fee? Community health centres (state-run clinics in most suburbs and regional towns) frequently offer physiotherapy at low or no cost, and public hospital outpatient physiotherapy is available for eligible conditions. To build a list of clinics to ring, use the healthdirect service finder or the Australian Physiotherapy Association's Find a Physio directory, both searchable by suburb.

Other ways to reduce the cost

Beyond the care plan pathway: private health extras cover typically rebates part of each physio visit with no referral needed (check your annual limits); NDIS participants can use plan funding for physiotherapy connected to their disability goals; DVA card holders may be covered under Veterans' Affairs arrangements; and university physiotherapy clinics run supervised student sessions at reduced rates in most capital cities. These options can also carry you past the 5-session Medicare cap.

How NewDoc fits in

NewDoc is a telehealth GP service, not a physiotherapy clinic, and we are not the gate to the rebates either: the care plan comes from your usual GP, so NewDoc does not prepare it. Where a NewDoc GP can help is the problem itself. For back pain, neck pain, joint and sports injuries, a NewDoc GP can assess you by video, prescribe pain relief where clinically appropriate, arrange imaging or an orthopaedic referral, write a medical certificate, and recommend physiotherapy, which you can book directly with any physio you like. The consult is bulk billed, $0 if you are Medicare eligible. 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

Is physio covered by Medicare?

Not routinely. Medicare only rebates physiotherapy when your GP has prepared a chronic condition management plan for a condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, 6 months or more, with complex care needs the GP assesses. Under a current plan you can access up to 5 individual allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across all allied health services on the plan, with a rebate of $63.40 per physiotherapy session (MBS item 10960, from 1 July 2026).

How many physio sessions does Medicare cover per year?

Up to 5 individual sessions per calendar year under a GP chronic condition management plan. The 5 sessions are shared across every allied health service on your plan: if your GP refers you for 3 physiotherapy and 2 podiatry sessions, that uses all 5. The count resets on 1 January and unused sessions do not roll over.

Does a bulk billing physio mean I pay nothing?

Only if the physiotherapist chooses to bulk bill. Bulk billing means the provider accepts the $63.40 Medicare rebate as full payment for the session. Many physiotherapists instead charge their normal fee and you claim the rebate back, leaving a gap. Always ask when booking: 'Do you bulk bill sessions under a care plan, or is there a gap fee?'

Do I need a GP referral to see a physio?

No referral is needed to see a physiotherapist privately, and you can book directly. A GP referral under a chronic condition management plan is only required if you want Medicare rebates for the sessions. Private health extras cover also does not require a referral.

Can a telehealth GP set up the care plan for physio?

Only the GP at your own practice, and only if that practice offers video appointments. Medicare requires the plan to come from the practice you are registered with under MyMedicare, or from your usual GP, and there is a video item for preparing it (MBS item 92029) but no phone item. NewDoc does not prepare care plans. A NewDoc GP can still assess the problem itself, and you can see a physio privately without any referral.

What if I have already used my 5 sessions this year?

Medicare will not rebate additional allied health sessions under the plan until the calendar year resets on 1 January. Options in the meantime include private health extras cover, community health centre physiotherapy (low or no cost in most states), and public hospital outpatient physiotherapy for eligible conditions.

Is physio free with a Health Care Card or pension card?

A concession card does not change the Medicare rebate, but many physiotherapists who charge private patients a gap will bulk bill concession card holders under a care plan, and community health centres often prioritise concession card holders with low or no fees. It always pays to mention your card when you book.

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