MyMedicare: What Registering With Your GP Practice Actually Means

What changes, what does not, and why choosing a regular practice can matter

MyMedicare is Australia’s voluntary patient-registration system for general practice.

It lets you formally nominate the general practice — and usually the GP — that you consider your regular source of care.

The idea is simple:

If one practice knows you well, keeps track of your history and follows things through over time, healthcare can become more coordinated.

But MyMedicare is also easy to misunderstand.

Registering does not mean you are locked into one doctor.

It does not stop you seeing another GP.

It does not guarantee bulk billing.

And it does not replace your Medicare card or private health insurance.

What it does is formally tell Medicare:

“This is my usual general practice.”

MyMedicare remains voluntary and free to join.

Why does MyMedicare exist?

General practice works best when healthcare is continuous rather than fragmented.

If you regularly attend the same practice, your GP team is more likely to know:

• your medical history
• your medicines
• previous investigations
• what specialists have recommended
• what preventive care is due
• what has already been tried
• what follow-up was planned.

MyMedicare is intended to formalise this ongoing relationship between the patient, their general practice, GP and primary-care team.

It is therefore less about creating another administrative record and more about strengthening continuity of care.

Who can register?

To register for MyMedicare, you generally need:

• a Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Card
• to choose a practice that is registered for MyMedicare; and
• to meet the usual relationship requirement with that practice.

For most people, this means you have had at least:

• 2 face-to-face appointments with the same practice in the previous 24 months.

For patients registering with practices in the most remote Modified Monash Model areas, MMM6–7, the requirement is generally:

• 1 face-to-face appointment in the previous 24 months.

There are exemptions for some groups and circumstances, so your practice can check eligibility if the standard rule does not fit your situation.

What happens when I register?

You nominate:

• your preferred general practice; and
• usually your preferred GP within that practice.

Once registered, the practice is notified that you have chosen it as your regular care team.

This gives Medicare a formal link between you and that practice.

It does not transfer ownership of your medical record, change your Medicare number or prevent you from receiving care elsewhere.

Am I locked into that practice?

No.

MyMedicare is voluntary.

You can change your registered practice or withdraw from MyMedicare if your circumstances change.

That may be useful if you:

• move house
• change doctors
• begin attending another practice regularly
• no longer feel the practice is the right fit for you.

Registration is intended to support continuity, not remove patient choice.

Can I still see another GP?

Yes.

You can still see another GP or medical practice when you need to.

For example, you might:

• be travelling
• need urgent care while your usual practice is closed
• see a doctor closer to work
• need a service your usual practice does not provide.

MyMedicare does not stop you doing this.

However, registration increasingly matters for some specific Medicare services, where eligibility or claiming may be linked to the practice you have nominated.

That is why understanding what registration changes is important.

Chronic Condition Management Plans

One of the clearest examples is the GP Chronic Condition Management Plan.

If you are registered in MyMedicare, current Medicare rules generally require you to access your GP Chronic Condition Management Plan and its reviews through the practice where you are registered.

If you are not registered in MyMedicare, the plan can generally be provided by your usual medical practitioner under the Medicare rules.

This means MyMedicare is not simply an optional label once you start using certain chronic-disease services.

It can help determine which practice is responsible for coordinating that Medicare-supported care.

Why does this matter for chronic disease?

Chronic-condition care usually works better when one practice coordinates it.

Someone managing several conditions may have:

• GP appointments
• specialist letters
• allied health referrals
• pathology
• imaging
• medicines
• preventive care
• follow-up goals.

If these are spread across multiple unrelated practices, information can be duplicated or missed.

MyMedicare helps identify the practice that should take the lead in coordinating this care.

For patients with long-term health conditions, that is one of its most practical benefits.

What about telehealth?

MyMedicare can also affect access to Medicare telehealth services.

For many GP telehealth services, Medicare requires an established clinical relationship with the practice.

Being registered with MyMedicare at your regular practice is one way to meet that relationship requirement for telehealth provided through that practice.

There are also some longer telephone consultation items that specifically require the patient to be registered with MyMedicare at the billing practice.

The exact Medicare item depends on the consultation.

The practical message is simpler:

Registering can make it easier for your regular practice to provide some types of Medicare-supported telehealth care, particularly longer telephone consultations.

What about mental health care?

MyMedicare may also matter for some mental-health care provided by your regular practice, particularly where access to longer telehealth consultations is relevant.

This does not replace a Mental Health Treatment Plan or the normal Better Access rules.

It simply strengthens the Medicare relationship between you and the practice coordinating your ongoing care.

Q Guide Mental Health Treatment Plans: What They Cover and How Medicare Helps explains supported psychology care in more detail.

Does MyMedicare give me cheaper appointments?

Not automatically.

Registering does not mean your GP must bulk bill you.

Practices still set their own fees.

MyMedicare supports several Medicare programmes and incentives, but registration itself is not a blanket “free GP visits” programme.

If cost is important, ask your practice about its billing policy.

Does MyMedicare mean I have to see only one doctor?

No.

You nominate a preferred GP where possible, but you are registering with the practice, not entering an exclusive relationship with one individual doctor.

That matters in larger practices.

You may usually prefer one GP but occasionally see another doctor in the same practice because:

• your usual GP is away
• you need an urgent appointment
• another GP has relevant expertise
• your schedule does not match theirs.

The benefit of staying within the same practice is that clinicians usually have access to the same medical record and can more easily continue the same plan.

What if I see several GPs in the same practice?

That is common.

MyMedicare does not require every consultation to be with your nominated preferred GP.

The broader aim is continuity through your regular practice and care team.

For many patients, good continuity means:

one main practice, one shared record, and a team that knows the overall plan.

What are the benefits if I am generally healthy?

The benefits may be less obvious if you rarely need healthcare.

But continuity can still help with:

• vaccinations
• blood pressure
• cholesterol and diabetes risk
• cancer screening
• family history
• medication history
• mental health
• preventive health checks.

A practice that knows your previous results can often make better decisions about what is actually due.

That can prevent both under-testing and unnecessary repeated testing.

What if I have several chronic conditions?

This is where registration can become particularly useful.

If you have diabetes, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, kidney disease or several other long-term conditions, your GP may need to coordinate information from multiple clinicians.

A regular practice can help answer questions such as:

• Who is managing each problem?
• Which medicines are still required?
• Have recommended blood tests been done?
• Are specialist recommendations being followed?
• Are allied health referrals still useful?
• Which preventive checks are due?

The more complicated your healthcare becomes, the more valuable continuity tends to be.

Does MyMedicare replace a care plan?

No.

MyMedicare is a registration system.

A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan is an actual clinical plan for managing chronic or terminal conditions.

They are related because registered patients generally need their plan and reviews provided through their registered practice.

But they are not the same thing.

Q Guide Your GP Chronic Condition Management Plan: What Medicare Can Help You Access explains Chronic Condition Management Plans in detail.

Does MyMedicare replace my medical record?

No.

Registration does not create a complete new medical record.

Your normal general-practice record remains with your practice.

My Health Record is also a separate national digital health-record system.

These systems serve different purposes.

MyMedicare tells Medicare which practice you have nominated as your regular practice.

It is not a replacement for either your practice’s clinical record or My Health Record.

What happens if I move?

You can change your registered practice.

This may be appropriate if you move to another town or begin receiving most of your regular care somewhere else.

You are not expected to remain registered indefinitely with a practice that is no longer your usual source of care.

Can children register?

Yes.

Eligible children can also be registered in MyMedicare.

A parent or guardian can help complete the registration process.

Your practice can advise whether the child meets the relevant registration requirements and how to complete the registration.

How do I register?

You can register:

• through your Medicare online account linked to myGov; or
• directly through your general practice using a MyMedicare registration form.

You do not need to pay to register.

The practice you choose must itself participate in MyMedicare.

Do I have to register?

No.

MyMedicare remains voluntary.

You can still receive ordinary general-practice care without registering.

However, some Medicare services now use MyMedicare registration as part of their eligibility rules.

So the practical question is not only:

“Do I have to?”

It is:

“Would registering with the practice I already consider my regular practice make my future care easier?”

For many patients, the answer will be yes.

A common misconception

MYTH: If I register for MyMedicare, I can never see another GP.

REALITY: You remain free to see other doctors and practices.

Registration simply formalises which practice you regard as your regular source of general-practice care.

For some particular Medicare-funded services, you may need to access that service through your registered practice.

That is very different from being locked in.

Questions patients commonly ask

Does it cost anything?

No.

MyMedicare registration is free.

Can I change my mind?

Yes.

You can change your registered practice or withdraw from MyMedicare.

Will registering make all my GP visits free?

No.

Individual practices still determine their fees.

Can I see another doctor at the same practice?

Yes.

Your preferred GP may be nominated, but continuity can also be provided by the broader practice team.

Can I still go to another clinic?

Yes.

MyMedicare does not stop you accessing another GP when needed.

Why does Medicare care which practice I use?

Because some healthcare works better when one team is clearly responsible for coordinating ongoing care.

This is particularly relevant for chronic disease, preventive care and follow-up.

How should I choose which practice to register with?

Choose the practice that genuinely provides most of your ongoing GP care.

Useful questions include:

• Where do I normally go when I am unwell?
• Which practice has the most complete medical history for me?
• Which GP or team usually follows my results?
• Where are my repeat medicines managed?
• Which practice coordinates my chronic conditions?
• Where do I want my ongoing care organised?

Do not choose a practice simply because you happened to attend it once.

Registration is most useful when it reflects your real healthcare relationship.

Start with one question

If you already have a regular GP practice, ask:

“Should I register this practice as my MyMedicare practice?”

For many patients, registration simply formalises the relationship that already exists.

The bottom line

MyMedicare is a free, voluntary way to nominate the general practice that you regard as your regular source of care.

It does not lock you in.

It does not stop you seeing another GP.

And it does not guarantee free appointments.

What it can do is strengthen the link between you and your regular practice — and increasingly allow that practice to provide Medicare-supported services that depend on continuity, including some chronic-condition and telehealth care.

The most useful way to think about MyMedicare is:

Choose the practice that knows you.
Let that practice coordinate the things that need continuity.
Use other healthcare when you need it.

Related Q Guides

• Your GP Chronic Condition Management Plan: What Medicare Can Help You Access
• Your Care Plan Review: Why Follow-Up Matters
• Mental Health Treatment Plans: What They Cover and How Medicare Helps
• Your 75+ Health Assessment: What It Checks and Why It Matters
• The 45–49 Health Check: Your Midlife Prevention Window