Ways to pay
Medicare and Chiropractic Care
Medicare does not cover chiropractic care for most people, most of the time. There is one pathway where a Medicare benefit applies, and it depends entirely on your GP assessing you as eligible. Where it does apply, those visits are bulk billed here — you pay nothing on the day.
Does Medicare cover chiropractic?
Not for general chiropractic care. A Medicare benefit is available for a limited number of visits if your GP assesses you as having a chronic condition and prepares a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan that recommends chiropractic. Eligible patients may receive up to five allied health services per calendar year, shared across all allied health providers. At Northern Beaches Chiropractic, eligible referred visits under a care plan are bulk billed — nothing to pay on the day. Your GP decides eligibility, not the chiropractor.
How it works
- 1
Talk to your GP
Your GP determines whether you are eligible. Only they can prepare the plan, and only they can decide whether chiropractic is an appropriate part of it. A chiropractor cannot arrange this for you.
- 2
Your GP prepares the plan and refers
Since 1 July 2025 the framework uses a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, replacing the former GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements. The prescribed referral form is no longer required — GPs now refer by letter, as they do to specialists.
- 3
Bring the referral to your appointment
Bring the referral letter and your Medicare card. The service must be delivered individually and in person, and must run for at least 20 minutes to attract a benefit.
- 4
Eligible visits are bulk billed
Northern Beaches Chiropractic bulk bills eligible referred chiropractic appointments under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. There is no gap and nothing to pay on the day for those visits.
- 5
We report back to your GP
The allied health provider must give the referring GP a written report after the first service and after the last service in the referred course of treatment. That is a requirement of the pathway, not an optional extra.
Frequently asked questions
How many Medicare-funded chiropractic visits can I get?
Eligible patients may access up to five individual allied health services per calendar year, and ten for patients of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. That total is shared across all allied health providers — so if you also see a physiotherapist or podiatrist under the plan, those visits come out of the same five.
Can a chiropractor arrange a Medicare plan for me?
No. Only a GP can assess eligibility and prepare a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. If you think you may be eligible, that conversation happens at your GP.
Are Medicare care plan appointments bulk billed here?
Yes. Eligible chiropractic appointments referred under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan are bulk billed at Northern Beaches Chiropractic, so there is no gap and nothing to pay on the day. Appointments outside that pathway are charged at the standard fee.
Is this the same as an EPC referral?
It is the current version of it. "EPC" (Enhanced Primary Care) and "Team Care Arrangements" are older names still widely used in conversation and search. Since 1 July 2025 the pathway is the GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. If your GP mentions an EPC referral, they mean this.
What happened to GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements?
They were replaced from 1 July 2025 by a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. Plans prepared under the old arrangements before that date continue to support allied health referrals until 30 June 2027.
Do I still need the old referral form?
No. The prescribed allied health referral form is no longer required. GPs now refer using a referral letter, consistent with how they refer to medical specialists.
Where this information comes from
Funding rules change. The statements on this page were checked against the responsible authority in August 2026. If you are reading this much later, verify anything that matters.
Last reviewed . General information about funding pathways, not financial, legal or individual health advice.
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1244 Marmion Avenue, Currambine. Bring anything listed above and we will sort the rest at the appointment.