My Medicare & VPR

Important changes to Medicare are starting in October 2023.

What is MyMedicare?

MyMedicare is centred around a new voluntary patient registration (VPR) system that will be linked to extra Medicare benefits for you. Changes will be introduced in stages, and VPR is the first step. Patients who have a Medicare or DVA card can register with their usual General Practice from 1st October 2023. Registration will enable you to access extra Medicare benefits as further changes are introduced.

Who is eligible for MyMedicare and VPR?

To be eligible to register with a practice you must have attended two face-to-face visits at that practice within the last 24 months, and you must have a Medicare or DVA card.

What are the benefits of MyMedicare?

The aim of MyMedicare and VPR is to strengthen the relationship between the patient, their preferred doctor, and the practice. Details are still emerging, but from what we know at this stage, MyMedicare reform aligns well with our practice values, and will make positive changes to our health system possible into the future.

What are the immediate changes and how will they benefit me?

• From 1 October 2023 eligible patients can register with MyMedicare. You will be able to register online or at the practice. The details are not yet available, but we will do our best to help you to register and streamline the process for you.
• From 1 November 2023 registered patients will have access to new Medicare rebates for longer phone and video consultations.
• Changes to Aged Care benefits and to Chronic Disease Management are planned for 2024, and additional benefits are forecast to be introduced over time.

What do I need to know?

• Registration is voluntary and can be changed if your circumstances change in the future.
• Our commitment to providing you with access to the highest quality care remains unwavering, and we want to reassure you that we do not intend to make any changes to the way you access care at GHFP Nurture or Glebe Hill Family Practice, or to the practitioners’ existing private billing policy.
• Neither the practice nor the practitioner will receive payment for you registering.
• Patients can only register at one practice, but some people may be eligible to choose between multiple practices, depending on where they have received medical care within the last 24 months.
• Patients should choose to register with their preferred practitioner at the practice they intend to continue receiving their care at.
• You can choose not to register, but you may miss out on extra Medicare benefits that you could be receiving.
• There will be options for patients to register online or in-person at the practice.
• We will provide registration information and links on our website once registrations are open, and if available we intend to send digital invitations to register eligible patients via MyMedicare in MyGov.
• To ensure that the GPs can continue to provide timely ongoing health care, and to avoid being over-subscribed, we intend to prioritise their existing regular patients for VPR at the practices.

With optimism we are embracing this reform, and we encourage you to register with us.

As further details emerge on how the changes will be implemented and how they will affect patients like yourself, we will do our best to keep you informed. Remember to regularly visit our website and follow us on social media to receive timely updates and guidance regarding the new Medicare changes.

From everyone at Glebe Hill Family Practice and GHFP Nurture, we thank you for your trust and ongoing support.