At your initial visit your physiotherapist will perform a thorough physical assessment enabling them to diagnose your condition. Once your condition has been diagnosed, your physiotherapist will then explain it to you, and specific treatment will be recommended and commenced to help solve your problem. This process is likely to take between 45-60 minutes.
Do you need a doctor’s referral to make an appointment?
A doctor’s referral is welcome but not necessary if you are attending one of our clinics as a private patient. You do, however will require a referral from your doctor if your problem is related to a workplace injury, motor vehicle accident, or if you are a Veterans’ Affairs patient.
Is physiotherapy covered by private health insurance fund?
If you are in a private health insurance fund and are covered for ancillary cover or “extras,’’ then you will be eligible to receive a rebate. Currently, there is only limited funding for treatment of chronic conditions via Medicare.
Does Medicare cover physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy outside of hospital isn’t normally covered by Medicare, unless you have a chronic illness and your general practitioner has provided a care plan. If this is the case, you can claim up to five consultations under the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program once you’ve registered for it with Medicare.
There are some provisions for limited physiotherapy costs to be covered under Medicare. To qualify for this, you must be suffering from a condition that has been present, or is likely to be present for at least 6 months and your general practitioner must be currently using a personally managed EPC (Enhanced Primary Care) multidisciplinary plan. If you meet these two criteria, then this may enable you to receive up to 5 Medicare funded treatments per year. To find out all necessary details ask your general practitioner or contact us for more information.