Quick answer
Yes — you can claim a Medicare rebate for exercise physiology in Australia. You'll need a GP chronic condition management plan from your GP, and you must have a chronic health condition that's been present for 6 months or more. This plan replaced the old GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements on 1 July 2025 — and before that it was called a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan, or an EPC plan.
The Medicare rebate is $63.40 per session, for up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year (shared across exercise physiology, physiotherapy, podiatry and other allied health under the plan).
Below is the exact step-by-step process — what to ask your GP, what to bring, and what to expect at the appointment.
What is a GP chronic condition management plan?
A GP chronic condition management plan (GPCCMP) is a Medicare-funded care plan that helps people with chronic health conditions access subsidised allied health services. It is the current name for a scheme you may know by an older one — Enhanced Primary Care (EPC), then Chronic Disease Management (CDM), and until mid-2025 a GP Management Plan paired with Team Care Arrangements.
Once your GP enrols you in a plan, you become eligible for 5 rebated allied health sessions per calendar year. These sessions can be split across:
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Accredited Exercise Physiology
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Physiotherapy
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Podiatry
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Dietetics
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Speech pathology
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Occupational therapy
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Diabetes education
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Mental health services (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander only — separate plan available for others)
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Chiropractic / osteopathy
Your GP decides which services and how many sessions of each, based on your needs.
Am I eligible?
Already have an older plan? If your GP Management Plan or Team Care Arrangement was put in place before 1 July 2025, you can keep accessing services under it until 30 June 2027. You do not need a new plan before then.
You're eligible for a plan if you have:
A chronic medical condition — defined as a condition that has been (or is likely to be) present for 6 months or longer, or is terminal.
Common qualifying conditions include:
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Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
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Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, post-stroke recovery
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Musculoskeletal conditions: chronic back pain, neck pain, shoulder dysfunction, osteoarthritis
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Osteoporosis
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Cancer (active treatment or recovery)
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Asthma, COPD, other chronic respiratory conditions
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Depression, anxiety, other chronic mental health conditions
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Chronic kidney disease
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Obesity (BMI 30+) with a related condition
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Post-surgical recovery (if expected to require ongoing management)
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Pre and post-natal complications
If you're not sure, ask your GP. They make the final call on eligibility.
Step-by-step: how to claim your Medicare rebate
Step 1: Book a long appointment with your GP
Don't try to do this in a 10-minute appointment. Tell reception you'd like to discuss a chronic condition management plan — they'll usually book you a 30–45 minute slot (sometimes called a "care plan appointment").
This appointment may be bulk-billed (Medicare covers it fully), depending on your GP's billing policy.
Step 2: Have the conversation
Tell your GP:
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What chronic condition(s) you have or are managing
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What you're hoping to achieve (e.g. "I want to manage my back pain with structured exercise so I can keep working" or "I want to rehab my knee post-surgery")
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That you'd like a referral specifically for exercise physiology
If you have a specific clinic in mind (like Atleta in Erina), say so — your GP will write the referral to that clinic.
Step 3: Your GP creates the plan
Your GP will:
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Document your chronic condition(s)
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Set goals for management
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Decide how many of your 5 allied health sessions go to exercise physiology vs other services
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Print or email you a Care Plan Referral Form specifying:
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Your name and Medicare details
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The diagnosis
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Number of EP sessions allocated
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The clinic / practitioner
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The plan must be reviewed every 3–6 months (a quick GP appointment) to remain valid.
Step 4: Book your exercise physiology appointment
Bring to your first session:
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The Care Plan Referral Form (paper or PDF)
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Your Medicare card
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Any relevant medical letters, scans or test results
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A list of current medications
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Comfortable clothes you can move in
Step 5: Pay and claim the rebate
Most clinics process your Medicare rebate on the spot:
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You pay the full session fee (e.g. $150)
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The clinic submits the rebate to Medicare via their software
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Medicare credits $63.40 to your nominated bank account (usually within 24 hours)
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Your out-of-pocket cost (gap fee) is the difference (e.g. $150 − $63.40 = $86.60)
Some clinics offer bulk-billing for plan patients — meaning $0 out-of-pocket. Most do not, especially clinics that specialise in 60-minute clinical sessions (the rebate doesn't cover the full hour of expert time).
How much does an exercise physiology session cost in 2026?
Typical Australian fee structures:
Rates vary by location, practitioner experience and clinic overheads. Always confirm fees with your clinic before booking.
Can I use Medicare and Private Health together?
No — you can't double-claim. You either use your Medicare rebate or your private health extras for the same session, not both.
The general rule: if your private health rebate is higher than $63.40 (which it often is for higher-tier extras cover), use private health. If it's lower, use Medicare. Bear in mind your Medicare sessions are capped at 5 a calendar year, so it can be worth saving them for the sessions that cost you the most.
What if I'm an NDIS participant?
NDIS participants don't use Medicare chronic condition management plans for exercise physiology — your NDIS funding covers it directly.
The 2025–26 NDIS rate for exercise physiology is $193.99/hr (Capacity Building category). Most clinics handle invoicing directly with self-managed and plan-managed participants. NDIA-managed participants need their plan manager to authorise.
What if I'm on Workers Compensation?
Workers Comp clients (icare/SIRA) have a separate fee schedule and reporting requirements. You'll need:
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A claim number
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A referral or treatment plan from your insurer
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A clinic that accepts Workers Comp claims (we do)
Sessions are typically billed directly to your insurer with $0 out-of-pocket cost.
What if I'm on DVA?
Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Gold and White Card holders can access exercise physiology with a D904 referral from their GP. Sessions are billed directly to DVA — no out-of-pocket cost.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Booking a normal GP appointment.
Care plans take 30–45 minutes. Booking a standard 10-minute slot frustrates everyone.
2. Not bringing the referral to your first session.
Without it, the clinic can't claim your rebate. You'll pay full price.
3. Letting your plan expire.
Care plans need GP review every 3–6 months. Mark it in your calendar.
4. Using up your 5 sessions on physio when you needed EP (or vice versa).
The 5-session limit is shared across all allied health. Plan with your GP and EP what split makes sense.
5. Assuming "bulk billing" applies to specialist clinics.
Most exercise physiology clinics charge a gap. Bulk-billing is more common in community health centres.
Why see an exercise physiologist for a chronic condition?
The case for it is well-evidenced:
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Cardiovascular disease: Structured exercise reduces all-cause mortality by 27% in CVD patients (Cochrane review, 2016)
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Type 2 diabetes: Exercise is as effective as first-line oral medication for glycaemic control (American Diabetes Association)
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Chronic low back pain: Exercise therapy is the most effective long-term intervention (Lancet 2018 series)
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Cancer recovery: Exercise reduces fatigue, improves quality of life, and may extend survival in breast and colorectal cancer survivors
A GP can prescribe medication. Only an exercise physiologist can prescribe exercise as medicine — with the same precision.
How to find an exercise physiologist in Australia
Use the official ESSA directory: essa.org.au/find-aep
Or — if you're on the Central Coast or anywhere in Australia and want to work with a 20+ year practitioner — book a session at the Atleta clinic in Erina. In-clinic and phone/video consults available.
FAQ
Q: How long is a plan valid?
Your referral lasts for whatever timeframe your GP writes on it. If no timeframe is stated, it is valid for 18 months from your first session under that referral. The plan itself is ongoing, but your GP reviews it periodically — and to keep referring, they need to have prepared or reviewed it within the last 18 months.
Q: Can I get more than 5 sessions per year?
The Medicare rebate is capped at 5 allied health sessions per calendar year. If you need more, you'll pay full price (or use private health extras / NDIS / Workers Comp depending on your situation).
Q: Does the 5-session limit reset on January 1?
Yes. The cap resets every calendar year on January 1.
Q: Can children get a Medicare rebate for exercise physiology?
Yes — children with eligible chronic conditions can access the same rebate. Common paediatric conditions include obesity, type 1 diabetes, ADHD-related coordination issues, and post-surgical rehab.
Q: Are telehealth (phone/video) exercise physiology sessions Medicare-rebated?
Yes — since 2021, telehealth exercise physiology sessions attract the same $63.40 rebate. This is huge for regional Australians.
Q: EPC, CDM, GPMP, GPCCMP — what's the difference?
They are all the same scheme under different names. Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) became Chronic Disease Management (CDM), which ran as a GP Management Plan plus Team Care Arrangements. On 1 July 2025 those two were folded into a single GP chronic condition management plan (GPCCMP), so you no longer need a separate Team Care Arrangement to be referred. GPs and clinics still use all of these terms interchangeably. If your plan predates 1 July 2025, it stays valid until 30 June 2027.
Ready to start?
If you have a chronic condition you've been managing for 3+ months — back pain, diabetes, post-surgical recovery, pre/post-natal, arthritis, depression — a GP chronic condition management plan is one of the most under-used tools in Medicare.
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