Enhanced Primary Care (EPC)

I’ve Got An Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC). What Next?

So, you’ve just been to see your doctor about a chronic condition that you have. Your doctor has told you that they are going to put you on an Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC) and that you have up to 5 rebatable visits with a Physio.

Let’s break this down and go through any information you may need to know.

What is an Enhanced Primary Care Plan?

An EPC is a plan on the Medicare Benefits Schedule where GPs are able to plan treatment for patients who suffer from a chronic or terminal medical condition with other medical providers.

Can I get a Medicare Rebate for Physiotherapy?

The short answer is YES! The long answer is yes, but there are a few conditions.

Firstly, you must meet the criteria, and that is generally centred around ‘chronic’ conditions, meaning something you have had for more than 3 months.

Secondly, you need to have the appropriate referral from your GP, who needs to send you to a Physiotherapy clinic.

Once the EPC form is filled out by your doctor, they will provide you with a copy of the form to take to us.

At Body Active Physio, you can book yourself online or calling and speaking to one of our friendly staff members to book yourself an appointment with one of our expert physiotherapists.

How many visits will it cover?

EPC allows for a total of up to 5 rebated consults to any referred allied health practitioner, per year. That could include Physiotherapy, podiatry, dietetics, speech pathology etc.

So for instance, your GP may refer you for 3 Physio consults and 2 Podiatry consults.

This number is renewed each calendar year, but you will need a new referral each year to access them.

Is It Free?

While we would love to help you out with free treatment, unfortunately we cannot bulk bill Medicare for Physiotherapy at our practice, so there will always be a gap payment.

How does the Medicare EPC rebate process work?

At Body Active Physio, the first step is to pay the full fee upfront  but don’t worry, our admin team will sort out the rebate for you back into your bank account linked with your Medicare, which will usually arrive in 3 business days!

Summary

To wrap it all together

• Yes you can get a Medicare Rebate for Physiotherapy using the EPC program.
• You need a specific doctor’s referral and the right type of physical condition
• You can get up to 5 rebatable visits per year, including all your allied health visits allocated
• There will always be a gap fee
• We can process the rebate for you, straight back into your Medicare linked bank account

If you have any specific questions at all regarding the EPC process, please call or email us, and we are more than happy to answer them!

Alternatively, your GP can also answer your questions.

We look forward to helping you move better, feel great and enjoy life!