Does Medicare Cover Chiropractic?
Medicare can bulk bill the cost of your chiropractic care
Medicare will pay for chiropractic care.
At least once a week a patient will ask us “Does Medicare pay for Chiropractic?” or Can I bulk bill my chirorpactic visits” We are happy to tell them that the answer is yes. Not all chiropractors will bulkbill Medicare so it is important that you check that when booking an appointment with a Townsville Chiropractor. Read our blog which lists the Townsville Chiropractor clinics that bulk bill Medicare.
As part of your Medicare coverage you are entitled to up to five bulk billed chiropractic visits a year fully paid for by Medicare. This is organised by your GP through a Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM) or Team Care Arrangement (TCA).
This coverage can save you over $250 in health care costs. Unfortunately many people who are eligible for this plan don’t even know that it exists.
FIND OUT IF CHIROPRACTIC CAN HELP YOU
Who’s Eligible for medicare funded chiropractic care?
You are eligible if you have a chronic condition and you have a Medicare card. Your GP will create a specific chronic disease management (CDM) plan for you and they can then refer you to a chiropractor on a team care arrangement (TCA) for up to 5 visits. All your costs will be bulk billed to medicare.
How do I get a Medicare bulk bill referral?
First you will need to consult your GP about your specific conditions and discuss with them your eligibility for chiropractic care under a CDM plan.
If you are eligible your GP will send us your TCA referral and we can then make a time for you to come in for your first visit that is fully funded by Medicare.
The list to the right shows which Chiropractic clinics accept Medicare referrals as full payment for all visits.
Is all the chiropractic visit cost bulk billed?
There only six Townsville Chiropractor clinics that accept the bulk billed amount as full payment. Find out all the costs for a Townsville Chiro who they are here. At Ansell Chiropractic there is no cost to you at all. At the time of each visit we bulk bill the cost to Medicare and we guarantee that there won’t be any gap fees or hidden charges to you. This means that Medicare will cover the full cost of each of your visits.
Medicare will bulk bill for chiropractic care.
What is a chronic condition?
A chronic condition is defined as a condition that has been present for six months or longer.
It’s important to remember that while you may be suffering from acute low back pain, neck pain or a headache that has only be present for a few days, often the underlying cause is a chronic problem that you are not aware of.
What conditions are eligible for a bulk bill referral?
Any condition that is chronic and complex is covered by Medicare through the CDM program and can be bulk billed. The most common conditions we see are:
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Sciatica
- Bulging and Prolapsed Disc Injuries
- Pain from Arthritis/ Degenerative Joint Disease
What happens on your Medicare first visit?
During your first visit we will do a thorough history and examination of your spine and, if necessary, arrange any x-rays that are needed to find the cause of your problems. These x-rays are fully covered by Medicare so you will have no out of pocket expenses.
On this webpage you will also find a complete description of what happens on your first visit. As well as demonstrations of what is involved in a neck examination and a low back examination.
Can Medicare bulk bill I am already seeing a chiropractor?
The same conditions apply regardless of whether you are currently seeing a chiropractor or have never been to the chiropractor before. Medicare will pay for up to 5 of your ongoing visits with your chiropractor following the referral from your GP.
If you are currently seeing a chiropractor the 5 visits that you are entitled to can be used during your ongoing treatment.
Can I have more than 5 visits a year bulk billed?
No. The medicare limit applies for a calendar year from the referral and your GP can only allocate up to five visits. Any more visits are your personal responsibility. Find out the full costs of all the Townville Chiropractor clinics.
What do I do now?
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions we would love to hear from you. Alternatively have a look at the information within this website about what we treat such as low back pain, sciatica, shoulder pain, neck pain or headaches. You will also find many exercise videos to help both improve the flexibility and strengthen your spine.
For more information about chronic disease management and Medicare go to:
Copyright Ansell Chiropractic ©2017
Thank you Ansell Chiropractic, this has explained EPC very well. What a great opportunity to access Chiropractic care for our chronic back complaints. The cost to the Australian economy of over $20 billions dollars, pales into insignificance when it comes to the loss of quality of life and enjoyment.
Thanks for making it really clear as to who can qualify for an EPC. I have had clients ask their GP for an EPC and they have been told they don’t qualify for it even though they fit the criteria.
It’s so great how straight-forward and to the point this is. Thanks so much! We have patients come in everyday who are not fully aware of all the benefits that their insurance has to offer. It’s interesting to learn about how Medicare coverage works in Australia.
Thanks for your comments Kimberlee. We really appreciate your support.
Thank you so much for this concise information.
My husband & myself had fantastic chiropractic
Therapy whilst living in Melb. Now we are so far
away…..we miss the healthy realignment we certainly
experienced with Dr. Nemeth. Now we are 11 years older
72 & 61…….both arthritic……help would be fantastic! 🙏😆
Thank you for your comment Vicki.
If you are in Townsville we would love to help you.
Hi, thank you for that information, really appreciated. Just wondering if you have private health will Medicare still cover the small portion I am out of pocket each visit?
Hi Rhiana How it works is that Medicare pays for up to five visits under the CDM medicare program. That is totally separate to your private health fund and you cant use the two together.
If you have private health cover use this link to have your first visit fully covered by your health fund.
https://www.ansellchiropractic.com.au/contact/private-health-offer/
Hope that helps
Best information I’ve read in years!!! I live 3 hours from Perth. Hoping that I can get a GP appt today. Thank you so much. What a shame this information is not made known to us by Medicare
awesome post thanks for the information
Thanks for the information! Nice to know that this kind of procedure is also covered in medicare.
Right here is the perfect site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic.
You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually
would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that has been discussed for a long
time. Great stuff, just excellent!
Thanks for the great blog admin.
Worth to read. So much information.
Thanks for the positive comments
Thanks for your kind words.
Medicare funded care should be common knowledge to all Australians.
Yes Mitchell everyone should know it. Thanks
Good to know! It would be great if all Chiropractic care could be covered under medicare!
Thanks, Yes it would be good Scott