Chronic Pain Management – Medicare Rebate

‘Chronic pain often requires a team effort with caring practitioners by your side. Inflammation needs to be addressed and your body needs to free up and strengthen.

GP’s and specialists can provide pain relief and any necessary blood work but where do you go after that?

Osteopaths – can unwind and release built up layers of strain and help re-balance the body. We can also provide some take home stretches and exercises.

Naturopaths – Are great for inflammation and food intolerance that may be causing that “all over” pain. Also great for gut health where inflammation often begins.

Physiotherapy/Pilates/Yoga/Tai Chi – all different and very effective ways of keeping the body balanced and moving through exercise.

 Swimming and Walking  – in water are other great ways to learn to move again. It offers more flexibility through less gravity and more range of motion. Resistance in the water can also assist with strengthening muscles.

Osteopaths are Allied Health Practitioners – this means they qualify for rebates with Medicare, to help you with chronic pain through the Chronic Disease Management  (CDM) scheme

Chronic Disease Management  (CDM) – Care Plan -How does it work?

Medicare offers CDM (Chronic Disease Management ) for Osteopathic treatment.

If you have a chronic condition (over 6 months) and are seeing your GP and two other practitioners, you may qualify for 5 visits of Osteopathy per year subsidised by Medicare. This means you receive a partial, on the spot rebate through Hicaps).

Any of the issues mentioned on this website may qualify you for a rebate if you have had the condition for over 6 months.

You may also qualify if you have illnesses which are in addition to your musculoskeletal issue. These may include conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, Trigeminal neuralgia, Parkinson’s or even Autoimmune disorders (pretty much anything that is being managed medically).

Please see your GP to discuss whether they will help you to receive the rebate.

Please look at the Medicare website for further information.

https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mbsprimarycare-chronicdiseasemanagement.

Medicare typically covers around $52.95 per treatment for up to 5 visits per year.

Unfortunately, you cannot claim a Medicare rebate and a Healthfund rebate in the same visit. However it means your Healthfund may last a bit longer so it’s worth discussing this with your doctor.

For a good perspective on chronic pain, this is how it works summed up in 5 minutes!