Unfortunately looking after yourself can be expensive. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for individuals over the age of 65yrs or for those suffering particular disabilities. As well as this, various individuals may be eligible for the Chronic Disease Management plan which is a Medicare initiative. This initiative aims to assist individuals suffering chronic musculoskeletal related conditions who also present with other health problems. Vitality Chiropractic Australia proudly provides medicare Chiropractor care for individuals using this initiative.
Chiropractors are frequently asked whether their services are bulk billable or covered by Medicare. The simple and straight forward answer to this question is unfortunately no.
Some Chiropractors accept clients who have been provided a Chronic Disease Management plan via their family general practitioner. These plans cover a certain percentage of the costs associated with five appointments each calendar year. The Chronic Disease Management plan can be used by various practitioners including Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and more. There is strict interpretation meaning not all people are eligible for this plan. Generally speaking individuals who are eligible have had a present musculoskeletal related complaint such as neck pain for longer then 6 months. In conjunction with this, you must also have an additional health related problem present such as Diabetes.
If you feel you’re eligible for the Chronic Disease Management plan it’s important to consult with your family general practitioner. Your general practitioner may approve you for the plan and allocate a certain number of visits of which you can choose which practitioner you would like to see for care. It is important to recognize that this initiative typically does not cover all of the associated consultation costs and therefore some Chiropractors may charge you a gap payment. Our clinic does not charge an additional fee.
Question: Can I use private health insurance while using the Chronic Disease Management plan? No you cannot use both approaches at the same time. We typically recommend individuals to use their medicare Chiropractor visits first and then use their allocated yearly private health insurance rebate.
Question: How do I start getting the Medicare rebate? Once you have been approved for this initiative your general practitioner must refer you to our clinic. Following this all necessary paperwork needs to be lodged from both parties. Your medicare Chiropractor provides regular update to your general practitioner so they can maintain record of your progress.
Question: Why am I not entitled to additional consultations each year? Current legislation states that all individuals are entitled to five consultations per calendar year.
Question: What happens if I don’t use my consultations throughout the year? You cannot ‘bank’ your allocated consultations ‘for a rainy day’ and if you choose to not use them you effectively forfeit them. Upon the start of the next calendar year you will need to be individually assessed again to establish whether you’re suitable for the initiative.
We hope you have found this information helpful. If you require additional information please don’t hesitate to contact us directly via 1300-003-777.