Why this matters for your practice
MyMedicare looks like an administrative registration, but it is increasingly the gateway to a growing share of general practice funding. The Medicare model is shifting toward blended, patient-registration-based funding, and items and incentives are progressively being tied to whether a patient is registered with your practice. A practice that treats MyMedicare as optional paperwork will find itself unable to claim items its competitors can.
The clearest example: a practice cannot join the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program at all unless it is registered for MyMedicare.
What MyMedicare unlocks
Registration links a patient to your practice and makes the practice eligible for benefits that are not available for unregistered patients, including:
- Longer MBS telehealth items, including longer Level C and D telephone consultations with the patient's usual practice.
- The tripled bulk billing incentive for longer telehealth consultations.
- The GP Chronic Disease Management Program, which from 1 July 2025 reframed chronic condition management around registered patients.
- The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive for registered residents.
- BBPIP eligibility, which is conditional on MyMedicare registration.
What your practice needs to register
- Be accredited, or registered for accreditation, against the RACGP Standards.
- Have at least one eligible GP (vocationally registered, non-vocationally registered, or a GP registrar) linked to the practice in the Organisation Register via PRODA.
- Patients then register through their Medicare online account, the Express Plus Medicare app, or in the practice. A patient is generally eligible to register where they have had two face-to-face visits with the practice in the previous 12 months.
What Services Australia expects
- Accurate registration records linking patient, practice, and usual provider.
- That patients meet the eligibility relationship before registration.
- That the practice keeps its Organisation Register details current.
Common mistakes
- Treating registration as optional. It now gates real income streams.
- Not linking GPs in the Organisation Register, which blocks both MyMedicare and BBPIP.
- Not prioritising the right cohorts. Registering patients who benefit most from chronic disease and longer telehealth items captures the most value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MyMedicare do for my practice?
MyMedicare links patients to your practice and unlocks Medicare items and incentives that are only payable for registered patients, including longer telehealth items, the tripled bulk billing incentive for longer consultations, the GP Chronic Disease Management Program, and eligibility for the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program.
Is MyMedicare compulsory?
No. MyMedicare is voluntary for both practices and patients. However, several Medicare items and incentive programs are only available for registered patients, so practices that do not participate cannot claim them.
Do patients have to pay to register for MyMedicare?
No. Registration is free for patients. They register through their Medicare online account, the Express Plus Medicare app, or at a practice they have an existing relationship with.
Related terms
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