A practical guide to care plans, allied health referrals and getting more from your long-term healthcare
If you live with a health problem that is not going away quickly, your GP may suggest a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, often called a care plan.
It is not simply paperwork and it is not only a way to get a physiotherapy referral. Done well, it is a structured plan for deciding what matters most, who should be involved in your care and what you are working towards.
For eligible patients, it can also provide Medicare rebates for certain allied health services.
What is a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan?
A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, or GPCCMP, is developed with your GP to help manage a long-term or terminal medical condition.
The current system began on 1 July 2025, replacing the previous GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement system.
- the conditions being managed
- your main health priorities
- agreed treatment goals
- medicines and monitoring
- lifestyle changes
- tests or follow-up
- other health professionals who may help
- what you can do between appointments
- when the plan should be reviewed
The most useful part is often not the document itself. It is having a dedicated conversation about where your health is now, what you want to improve and what the next steps should be.
Who can have one?
You may be eligible if you have at least one medical condition that has been present, or is likely to be present, for at least six months, or if you have a terminal condition.
There is no official list of diagnoses that automatically qualify. Your GP decides whether a structured plan is clinically appropriate and likely to help.
- diabetes
- heart disease
- asthma or COPD
- arthritis
- chronic pain
- kidney disease
- osteoporosis
- other ongoing physical or mental health conditions
You do not always need a perfectly defined diagnosis. For example, someone with persistent pain for more than six months may still benefit from a plan even when there is no single confirmed cause.
Having a long-term diagnosis does not automatically mean you need a plan. The key question is whether structured planning and coordinated care are likely to improve your management.
What can Medicare help with?
If you have an eligible GPCCMP, your GP may refer you to certain allied health professionals for Medicare-subsidised care.
- physiotherapists
- podiatrists
- dietitians
- exercise physiologists
- diabetes educators
- occupational therapists
- speech pathologists
- audiologists
- chiropractors
- osteopaths
- eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals
- other eligible allied health providers
The referral needs to be relevant to the condition and goals in your plan. A care plan does not automatically entitle you to every type of allied health service.
Your GP must still make an appropriate referral for Medicare benefits to apply.
How many allied health visits can Medicare help with?
Most eligible patients can access up to five individual allied health services per calendar year through this pathway.
That is five services in total, not five with each profession.
- three physiotherapy visits and two dietitian visits; or
- two podiatry visits, two exercise physiology visits and one dietitian visit
The combination should reflect what is most useful for you.
Eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients can access up to 10 individual chronic condition management services per calendar year. There are also separate Medicare-supported follow-up and monitoring services that may apply in some circumstances.
People with type 2 diabetes may also qualify for Medicare-supported group allied health services.
Does Medicare make the allied health visit free?
Not necessarily.
Medicare provides a rebate for eligible services, but the allied health professional sets their own fee. Some providers bulk bill. Others charge more than the Medicare rebate, leaving you with an out-of-pocket cost.
- What is the full consultation fee?
- What Medicare rebate applies?
- What will I need to pay?
A Medicare referral should not be confused with a guarantee of free treatment.
Can I choose the allied health professional?
Usually, yes, as long as the clinician is eligible to provide the relevant Medicare service and accepts this type of referral.
Sometimes your GP may recommend a particular clinician because they have experience with your condition or communicate well with the practice.
Good communication matters. Allied health clinicians may report back to your GP, helping everyone involved understand your progress and whether the plan needs to change.
What happens at the care-plan appointment?
A good care-plan appointment should involve more than completing a template.
- your current conditions
- medicines
- recent blood tests
- blood pressure
- weight and metabolic health where relevant
- smoking and alcohol
- physical activity
- vaccinations and screening
- symptoms affecting daily life
- specialists already involved
- allied health needs
- your own priorities
A practice nurse or another member of the team may help collect information, but your GP remains responsible for the plan and must see you as part of the service.
If you are registered with MyMedicare, GPCCMP preparation and review services generally need to be provided through the practice where you are registered.
The goals should matter to you
A useful care plan turns health problems into practical goals.
“Lose weight” is not much of a plan.
A more useful goal might be: Build enough strength and fitness to walk for 30 minutes without worsening my knee pain.
Likewise, “improve my HbA1c” becomes more meaningful when it is linked with practical actions such as food choices, physical activity, medication review and follow-up blood tests.
Your goals do not need to be dramatic. Small goals that matter to you are often more useful than a long list that nobody looks at again.
Does the plan need to be reviewed?
Yes. A care plan should change as your health changes.
Under current Medicare rules, a new GPCCMP can generally be prepared once every 12 months. Reviews are generally available no more often than every three months, unless there has been a significant change in your clinical condition or circumstances.
A care plan should not be written and forgotten.
- Are we making progress?
- Are these still the right goals?
- Are the referrals helping?
- Has something changed?
- Do we need a different approach?
Q Guide Your Care Plan Review: Why Follow-Up Matters looks at care plan reviews in more detail.
What if I still have an old GP Management Plan?
The Medicare system changed on 1 July 2025.
Transitional arrangements allow eligible patients with an older GP Management Plan or Team Care Arrangement created before that date to continue accessing relevant follow-on services until 30 June 2027.
If this applies to you, your practice can advise whether your old arrangement is still being used or whether it is time to move to the newer GPCCMP system.
A common misconception
MYTH: A care plan is mainly a way to get five free physiotherapy visits.
REALITY: Medicare may subsidise allied health care, but that is only one part of the plan. Its main purpose is to coordinate the management of a long-term health problem. The allied health visits are also not necessarily free.
Questions patients commonly ask
Can I have a care plan just because I want physiotherapy?
Not automatically. You need to meet the chronic-condition requirements, and your GP must decide that a structured plan and the proposed referral are clinically appropriate.
Can I use all five visits with one physiotherapist?
Potentially, yes. If physiotherapy is the most appropriate use of your allocation, the services can all be with the same eligible profession.
Do unused visits roll over?
No. The usual allocation applies per calendar year.
Can a plan cover more than one condition?
Yes. Many people have several conditions that affect one another. A single useful plan can bring these together rather than treating each issue in isolation.
How to get more from your care plan
Before the appointment, think about three questions:
- What health problem is affecting me most?
- What would I like to be able to do better in six months?
- What professional help would genuinely make a difference?
Bring an up-to-date medication list if needed and mention specialists or allied health clinicians you already see.
Tell your GP if cost is a major issue. There is little value in developing a plan around services you cannot realistically access.
If your healthcare feels fragmented, a useful starting question is: “Would a Chronic Condition Management Plan help bring this together?”
The bottom line
A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan is designed to help manage a health problem expected to last at least six months, or a terminal condition.
For eligible patients, Medicare can also subsidise certain allied health services.
But the best care plan is more than a referral pathway. It should help answer three practical questions:
- Where are we now?
- What are we trying to improve?
- What should we do next?
Related Q Guides
Important information
This guide provides general health information and does not replace personalised medical advice. Speak with your GP or healthcare professional about recommendations appropriate to your medical history and circumstances.
Evidence and further reading
- Services Australia — Services available under a GP chronic condition management plan
- Services Australia — MBS billing rules for GP chronic condition management plans
- Services Australia — Requirements for a chronic condition management plan
- Services Australia — MBS billing rules for chronic condition allied health and other primary health care items
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — MyMedicare
- MBS Online — July 2025 News