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Managing a long-term condition already takes enough of your time without the paperwork side becoming its own part-time job. If you’ve got a chronic back issue that needs a physio, diabetes that could do with a dietitian’s input, or feet that have been giving you grief for months, Medicare may subsidise part of the cost, but only if the right plan is in place first. A lot of people don’t realise this exists until a specialist mentions it in passing, or a friend happens to bring it up.
If you’re trying to work out whether a chronic disease management plan online in Australia is something a telehealth GP can actually set up for you, properly and within the current rules, here’s the full picture, including recent changes.
What Is a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP)?
A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, generally shortened to GPCCMP, is essentially a structured plan your GP puts together when you have a medical condition that’s been present, or is likely to be present, for at least six months, or a condition that’s terminal. It sets out how your care will be coordinated, and it may support access to a limited number of Medicare-subsidised allied health services each calendar year, provided the relevant eligibility, referral and MBS requirements are met. Think of it less as extra paperwork and more as the key that opens the door to subsidised physio, podiatry, or dietetics appointments you’d otherwise be paying full price for.
The 2025 MBS Updates (Goodbye GPMP and TCA)
Here’s the bit worth knowing if you’ve had a chronic condition for a while and remember things working differently. From 1 July 2025, the previous two-plan GP Management Plan (GPMP) and Team Care Arrangement (TCA) framework was replaced by the single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP) framework for new plans. This means that if you’re searching for a GP management plan online or a telehealth team care arrangement, you’re generally looking for services that are now covered by the current GPCCMP framework.
The previous requirement for your GP to consult with at least two other providers has also been removed. New referrals generally use the updated MBS referral requirements rather than the older EPC form. If you’ve searched for an EPC plan telehealth Australia option, it’s worth knowing that “EPC plan” is legacy terminology; new chronic condition management plans use the GPCCMP framework.
Patients with a GPMP or TCA in place before 1 July 2025 can continue to access services consistent with those plans under transitional arrangements until 30 June 2027, so if you already have an older GPMP or TCA, there’s no rush to redo it immediately, though a review is a natural moment to transition across.
Can You Get a Chronic Disease Management Plan via Telehealth?
A GPCCMP may be prepared or reviewed by video telehealth when the clinical, continuity of care and MBS requirements are met. New MBS items introduced alongside the GPCCMP framework specifically support both preparing and reviewing these plans by telehealth video consultation, not just in person. What matters most is that your GP has enough genuine clinical information about your condition, its history, and how it’s being managed, which is usually straightforward if you already have an established diagnosis and some history to discuss. Where telehealth becomes less suitable is if your condition hasn’t actually been formally diagnosed yet, since a management plan builds on an existing diagnosis rather than establishing one from scratch, and that kind of initial assessment often benefits from being seen in person first.
One nuance worth mentioning honestly: if you’re registered with MyMedicare at a particular practice, your ongoing GPCCMP and reviews are generally expected to come from that registered practice to access the full range of enhanced telehealth benefits. If you’re not registered anywhere in particular, a telehealth GP can still generally prepare or review your plan, just without some of those additional enhanced benefits layered on top.
Although a GPCCMP does not expire, the patient needs to have had the plan prepared or reviewed within the previous 18 months to continue accessing allied health and other services under it.
Read: How To Manage Chronic Pain: Tips And Guidelines
What Allied Health Services Are Covered? (Physio, Dietetics, Podiatry)
The new GPCCMP framework continues to provide access to a range of Medicare-supported allied health services where the service is appropriate to the patient’s condition and consistent with their plan. Once your plan is in place, it typically opens up access to individual sessions with allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, dietitians, podiatrists, exercise physiologists, psychologists, and several other allied health categories, depending on what your condition and referral actually call for. If a GP determines that physiotherapy is appropriate, they can issue the required referral following an eligible consultation. This means someone searching for a Medicare physio referral online may be able to start the process through a telehealth GP consultation, provided the consultation and referral meet the applicable MBS requirements.
Eligibility and session limits are set by the MBS and depend on the applicable requirements. Whether a Medicare benefit is payable depends on the patient’s eligibility, the referral, the service provided and the relevant MBS requirements.
Who Is Eligible for the 5 Medicare-Subsidised Sessions?
Generally, patients with an eligible chronic condition can access up to five individual allied health services per calendar year under their GPCCMP, with eligible Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patients able to access up to 10 individual services per calendar year. Group sessions are also available for people managing type 2 diabetes specifically, with a higher session cap under that particular pathway. It’s worth knowing these sessions are shared across the calendar year rather than resetting per specialist, so if you’re already seeing a physio and a dietitian under the same plan, those visits draw from the same overall pool.
People living in residential aged care generally access these allied health services through a different multidisciplinary care plan pathway rather than a standard GPCCMP.
How to Get an Allied Health Referral Online With Doctor Help
If you’ve been meaning to get an online GP chronic condition management plan but kept putting it off because it sounded like a formal, clinic-only process, it genuinely doesn’t need to be. A telehealth consultation can review your condition, confirm your eligibility where appropriate, and if clinically suitable, put together the referral letters that get you moving toward the allied health support your condition actually calls for.
If that sounds right for you, speak with a doctor online to discuss your chronic condition and whether telehealth is suitable for your situation; they can advise whether a telehealth appointment is appropriate and, where suitable, set up or review your plan.
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and does not replace personalised medical advice. A chronic condition management plan is intended for established conditions rather than diagnosing new symptoms. If you’re having new or worsening symptoms (chest pain, sudden severe pain, breathing difficulty), seek urgent in-person care.
References:
- RACGP – 1 July 2025 MBS updates. (n.d.).
https://www.racgp.org.au/running-a-practice/practice-resources/medicare/medicare-benefits-schedule/1-july-2025-mbs-updates - Upcoming Changes to Chronic Disease Management Framework – MBS items for GP Chronic Condition Management plans. (2025). In Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/650f3eec0dfb990fca25692100069854/35bc9280594efa33ca258c9200126149/$FILE/PDF%20Version%20-%20Upcoming%20Changes%20to%20Chronic%20Disease%20Management%20Framework%20-%20GPCCMPs.pdf - Item 10953 | Medicare Benefits schedule. (n.d.).
https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=10953 - GP Chronic condition management plans. (2026, August 6). Services Australia.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/mbs-billing-rules-for-gp-chronic-condition-management-plans?context=20 - Item 81300 | Medicare Benefits schedule. (n.d.).
https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=81300
Reviewed By: Dr. Momal Ahmad.
