If you have a chronic or ongoing health condition, your GP can prepare a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, giving access to up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health visits a year (physio, podiatry, dietitian and more). A separate GP Mental Health Treatment Plan gives up to ten subsidised psychologist sessions. Subsidised doesn't always mean free — ask about the gap before you book.
Most of us reach retirement carrying at least one ongoing health condition — arthritis, diabetes, a heart condition, osteoporosis, a chronic back or knee. Managing them often means allied health: physiotherapy, podiatry, a dietitian, an exercise physiologist. And at full price, those visits add up fast, to the point where a lot of retirees quietly ration the care they actually need. What many don't realise is that Medicare will help pay for some of it — but only if you go about it the right way, starting with your GP. It's one of the most under-used benefits in the whole system. Here's how it works. This article is general information only, not personal or medical advice — your GP decides what's right for you.
What is the care plan actually?
Medicare generally doesn't subsidise everyday allied health like physio or podiatry. There's an important exception: if you have a chronic or ongoing condition, your GP can prepare a care plan for you — a structured plan that sets out your condition, your goals, and the care you need to manage it. As part of that plan, your GP can refer you for allied health services that Medicare then subsidises — the very services it wouldn't cover otherwise.
One note up front: the framework for these plans was reformed on 1 July 2025, when the old "GP Management Plan" and "Team Care Arrangements" were replaced with a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/gp-chronic-condition-management-plan). If you already had one of the older plans in place before that date, you can generally keep using it to access services until 30 June 2027, after which a current plan is needed (Department of Health, https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/upcoming-changes-to-mbs-chronic-disease-management-arrangements). The principle is unchanged, but the paperwork and names may differ from what you or an old brochure remember, so confirm the current specifics with your GP.
What can it unlock?
Once you have a plan, it can give you access to up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health visits each calendar year — shared across providers such as physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, exercise physiologists, occupational therapists, and diabetes educators, depending on your needs (that annual cap is higher — ten visits — for patients of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent) (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/gp-chronic-condition-management-plan). For someone managing, say, diabetic foot care or a chronic joint problem, that can turn a regular, unaffordable cost into a manageable one. This is the heart of why the plan is worth asking about.
Does "subsidised" always mean "free"?
Here's the expectation to set correctly, because it catches people out. The Medicare rebate for a subsidised allied health visit may not cover the provider's full fee — so you can still be left with an out-of-pocket gap (Healthdirect, https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/allied-health). Some providers bulk-bill these visits (no gap); many don't. The simple habit that saves surprises: before you book, ask the provider what they charge and what the Medicare rebate is, so you know the gap in advance. Even with a gap, a subsidised visit is cheaper than paying the whole fee — but "subsidised" and "free" aren't the same thing.
How should you use the yearly limit wisely?
That five-visit allowance is modest, and — this is the part people miss — it's shared across all your allied health, not counted separately for each type. Five visits in total, whether you spend them all on the physio or split them between the podiatrist and the dietitian. So it pays to be strategic: put those subsidised visits toward the care that matters most to your condition, rather than spreading them thin. Your GP will help you plan how to use them.
Struggling emotionally? Is there a separate plan for that?
Retirement isn't only physical. Loss, isolation, and the sheer adjustment of a new phase of life can take a real toll, and there's a separate Medicare pathway for it. A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan gives access to up to ten Medicare-subsidised individual sessions with a psychologist or other mental health professional each calendar year, delivered in an initial course of up to six sessions and then a further course up to the annual cap (Department of Health, https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/better-access-initiative). It's under-used too, often because people don't know it's there or how affordable it makes getting help (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/mental-health-care-and-medicare). If you're not travelling well, it's worth raising with your GP in the same breath.
How do you get one?
It all starts in the same place: make an appointment with your GP and ask. They decide whether a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (and/or a mental health plan) is clinically appropriate for you — it's a medical judgement, not something you self-select. Take your Medicare card, be ready to talk through your conditions and what you're finding hard, and know that these plans are reviewed periodically to keep them current. One clarification worth keeping straight: this is a Medicare benefit, and it's separate from the aged-care system — it's not a Home Care Package or a Commonwealth Home Support service, which are different programs with different rules (our articles on those explain them). And if you're a veteran, the Department of Veterans' Affairs may offer you other pathways to allied health. Different doors; ask about the ones open to you.
What do the worked examples show?
These show the two pathways in practice — physical care, and mental-health support. They are illustrative only, not personal or medical advice.
Consider Frank, 68, who has type 2 diabetes and has been paying full price to see a podiatrist every few weeks for his feet, plus the occasional dietitian visit — a real strain on a fixed income. On these facts the care plan is exactly what he's missing: if his GP judges it appropriate and prepares a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, Frank can have up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health visits across the calendar year, spread between the podiatry and dietitian care his condition needs (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/gp-chronic-condition-management-plan). On these facts it is generally rational for someone in Frank's position to book that GP appointment to ask, to steer his five subsidised visits toward the diabetic foot care that matters most, and to check each provider's fee against the Medicare rebate first, since a gap may still apply.
Now consider Margaret, 71, who has been struggling with isolation and low mood in the year since her husband died, and hasn't sought help partly because she assumed counselling would be unaffordable. On these facts a different door is open: a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan can give her up to ten Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist across the calendar year (Department of Health, https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/better-access-initiative). On these facts it is generally rational for someone in Margaret's position to raise how she's feeling with her GP, who can assess whether the plan is appropriate and refer her — turning support she thought was out of reach into something genuinely affordable.
What should you do in short?
If you're managing an ongoing condition and paying full freight for physio, podiatry, or a dietitian, stop and book a chat with your GP first — a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan may let Medicare pick up part of the cost of the very care you already need, up to five subsidised visits a year. It's not unlimited, and it's not always free, but it's real money left on the table by people who simply don't know to ask. And if the hard part of retirement is in your head rather than your knees, the mental health plan and its ten subsidised sessions are there for the same reason. The benefit exists; the first move is yours.
Sources
- Services Australia — GP chronic condition management plan
- Department of Health — Changes to MBS Chronic Disease Management arrangements
- Department of Health — Better Access initiative (mental health)
- Services Australia — Mental health care and Medicare
- Healthdirect — Allied health
Key takeaways
- A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, prepared by your GP for an ongoing health condition, unlocks up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health visits per calendar year (ten for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patients).
- The five-visit allowance is shared across all allied health types — physio, podiatry, dietitian, and more — not counted separately for each provider, so it pays to use them strategically.
- Subsidised doesn't always mean free: the Medicare rebate may not cover the provider's full fee, so ask about the gap before booking.
- A separate GP Mental Health Treatment Plan gives access to up to ten Medicare-subsidised psychologist sessions a year, for anyone struggling emotionally in retirement.
- The framework was reformed on 1 July 2025, replacing the old GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements with a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan; older plans remain usable until 30 June 2027.
Frequently asked questions
What is a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan?
It's a structured plan your GP prepares if you have a chronic or ongoing health condition, setting out your condition, goals, and the care you need. It unlocks Medicare-subsidised access to allied health services — such as physiotherapy, podiatry, and dietetics — that Medicare wouldn't otherwise cover.
How many subsidised allied health visits do I get?
Up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health visits per calendar year, shared across all providers you see rather than counted separately for each type. The cap is ten visits a year for patients of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
Are subsidised allied health visits free?
Not always. The Medicare rebate may not cover the provider's full fee, leaving you with an out-of-pocket gap. Some providers bulk-bill these visits with no gap, but many don't — ask what the provider charges and what the rebate is before you book.
Is there a Medicare plan for mental health support too?
Yes. A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan gives access to up to ten Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist or other mental health professional each calendar year. It's a separate plan from the chronic condition plan, and your GP can assess whether it's appropriate for you.