Medicare referrals
GP Chronic Condition Management Plans, explained simply.
From 1 July 2025, new Medicare chronic-condition plans use the GP Chronic Condition Management Plan name. You may still hear the former names CDM, GP Management Plan, or Team Care Arrangement.
What the plan can do
One shared annual limit.
If your GP decides you are eligible, a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan can support Medicare rebates for up to five individual allied-health services in total in a calendar year.
The five services are shared across eligible allied-health providers. They are not five visits for every profession. Your GP decides eligibility and referrals. The practitioner decides whether they accept the referral and what fee or gap applies.
Before the GP visit
Three useful questions for your GP.
- 1
Am I eligible for a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan?
- 2
Which allied-health service is appropriate for me?
- 3
How should the referral be sent to the practitioner I choose?
Before booking
Check with the practitioner.
Ask:
- whether they currently accept GP Chronic Condition Management Plan referrals
- the full appointment fee
- the expected Medicare rebate
- the likely gap
- how to send the referral before the appointment
A referral does not always make an appointment free.
The fine print
Questions people actually ask.
Is this the same as a CDM plan?
It is the current arrangement for new plans from 1 July 2025. CDM is an older term that people and practices may still use.
Do I automatically receive five visits?
No. Your GP decides whether you are eligible and what services are appropriate. The annual maximum is shared across eligible allied-health services.
Will Medicare cover the full fee?
Not necessarily. Ask the practitioner for the fee, rebate, and likely gap before you book.
Can Virtus issue the plan or referral?
No. Your GP manages the plan and referral. Independent practitioners manage their own participation, bookings, billing, and records.
Choose the next step
Confirm the details before you book.
Independent practices at the Virtus address manage their own participation, bookings, fees, rebates, gaps, and records.