If you've searched "how much physio is covered by Medicare," the short answer is: a partial rebate, for up to five sessions a year, and only if you have a chronic condition your GP is managing under a care plan. Here's how it actually works, and what it means if you need more support than …
If you’ve searched “how much physio is covered by Medicare,” the short answer is: a partial rebate, for up to five sessions a year, and only if you have a chronic condition your GP is managing under a care plan. Here’s how it actually works, and what it means if you need more support than that covers.
How the Medicare Rebate for Physiotherapy Works
Medicare doesn’t cover physiotherapy generally, it covers a specific pathway for people with a chronic or ongoing medical condition, under MBS item 10960. The rebate is currently around $63.40 per eligible session (rebates are indexed each July, so it’s worth confirming the exact current figure). Most clinics charge more than the scheduled fee, so you’ll usually have a gap to pay, unless the clinic bulk bills that particular appointment.
Who’s Eligible
To access the rebate, you need:
- A chronic or ongoing condition (generally expected to last six months or more)
- A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, prepared or reviewed by your GP in the last 18 months
- A referral from your GP specifically for physiotherapy
You don’t need a referral to see a physiotherapist in Australia generally, but you do need one if you want Medicare to contribute toward the cost.
The Five Sessions Are Shared, Not Five Each
This is the part that catches most people out. The rebate covers up to five allied health services per calendar year, and that’s a shared pool across every allied health discipline, not five sessions each for physio, podiatry, dietetics, and so on. If you’ve already seen a podiatrist twice this year, you have three physiotherapy sessions left, not five.
What Changed in 2025
From 1 July 2025, the old GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements were replaced by a single, simplified GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. If you already had a plan in place before that date, it continues to work under the old arrangement until 30 June 2027. If you’re setting one up now, it’s the newer, simpler version your GP will prepare.
If Medicare Doesn’t Cover Enough
Five sessions a year isn’t much if you need ongoing, regular physiotherapy, particularly for older adults managing multiple conditions, or anyone recovering from a fall, surgery, or hospital stay. In those cases, it’s worth looking at whether you’re eligible for a different funding pathway, such as Support at Home, NDIS, or DVA, which don’t carry the same five-session cap.
How Bayside Mobile Physio Can Help
We provide in-home physiotherapy across Greater Sydney and accept Medicare CDM referrals alongside NDIS, Support at Home, DVA, and private clients. If you’re not sure which pathway applies to your situation, or whether your five Medicare sessions are enough, we’re happy to talk it through.
Call us on 0468 079 075 or make a referral to get started.
Daniel Chong, BPhty (Australian Catholic University), is an AHPRA-registered physiotherapist and the founder of Bayside Mobile Physio.
