The short answer
No, not if you're paying privately. You can book a dietitian directly [1][2]. For a Medicare rebate, you usually need a GP chronic condition management plan and a referral, which covers up to 5 allied health visits a year [3][4]. People with an eligible eating disorder can get more dietetic sessions under a separate eating disorder plan [7].
On this page
Can I see a dietitian without a referral?
Yes. You don't need a referral to see a dietitian [1]. You can book an appointment with a private practice dietitian yourself [2], pay their fee, and claim part of it through private health extras if your policy covers dietetics. Most private health funds offer rebates for dietitians, though amounts and limits vary [2].
You might need a GP referral if you want government funding to help with the cost, such as Medicare, the NDIS or DVA [1].
Dietitian or nutritionist?
It's worth knowing the difference before you book. Not all nutritionists are dietitians, and someone without a dietetics qualification can't call themselves a dietitian [1]. Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) are university-qualified, keep up ongoing education and follow a code of conduct. You can check someone's status on the Register of Accredited Practising Dietitians [1].
That matters for rebates too. The Medicare eating disorder dietetic items require the dietitian to be an APD [7].
How do I get a Medicare rebate for a dietitian?
There are two main routes.
| Route | Who it's for | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| GP chronic condition management plan | People with a chronic condition and complex care needs [5] | Up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across all types (10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) [3][5] |
| Eating disorder treatment and management plan | People with an eligible eating disorder diagnosis [7] | Up to 20 dietetic sessions in 12 months [7] |
Under a chronic condition management plan
Since 1 July 2025, GP management plans and team care arrangements have been replaced by a single GP chronic condition management plan, or GPCCMP [3]. To claim a dietitian visit:
- your GP must be managing your chronic condition under a plan that recommends dietetics [5]
- the plan must have been prepared or reviewed in the last 18 months [3]
- each visit must run at least 20 minutes [5]
The 5 visits a year are shared with other allied health services, so physio or podiatry visits under your plan come out of the same 5 [5].
If you're registered with a practice through MyMedicare, chronic condition management services must come from that practice. If you're not registered, they come from your usual medical practitioner [3]. A GP you see once usually won't meet that rule.
The referral itself is now a letter. It must be signed and dated and explain why you're being referred. It doesn't need to name a particular dietitian or a number of sessions, and it lasts 18 months from your first session unless your GP writes a different period [4].
If your plan was a GP management plan or team care arrangement made before 1 July 2025, you can keep using allied health services under it until 30 June 2027 [6].
For a standard dietitian visit under a chronic condition plan (item 10954), the Medicare schedule fee is $74.55 and the Medicare benefit is $63.40, as listed on MBS Online in November 2026 [5]. Dietitians set their own fees, so you pay any gap.
Under an eating disorder plan
Medicare has a separate pathway for eating disorders. With an eating disorder treatment and management plan, you can claim up to 20 dietetic sessions and up to 40 psychological treatment sessions in a 12-month period, starting from when the plan is prepared [7].
To be eligible, you need a clinical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, or of bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder or another specified feeding or eating disorder that meets set severity criteria. The referral can come from a GP or other medical practitioner, a consultant psychiatrist or a consultant paediatrician [7]. Eating disorder referrals aren't covered by the newer chronic condition referral rules described above [4].
If you're worried about your immediate safety, call 000. Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14 [9].
Do DVA clients need a referral for a dietitian?
Generally yes. DVA allied health services, including dietetics, use a treatment cycle that starts with a GP referral. A referral covers up to 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first, and then the dietitian reports back to your GP, who decides whether another referral is needed [8].
When might a GP referral help anyway?
Even if you're paying privately, a referral letter can give your dietitian useful background, like your diagnoses, medicines and recent blood test results. If diet is part of managing a condition like diabetes or a hormone problem, your GP may also suggest a specialist such as an endocrinologist.
Getting a referral
Referral GP offers telehealth consultations by phone or video with AHPRA-registered Australian GPs. A GP can talk through your health and, where it's clinically appropriate, write a referral letter for a dietitian or arrange a blood test. For a Medicare-rebated referral under a chronic condition management plan, you'll generally need your MyMedicare practice or usual GP.
A consultation doesn't guarantee a referral. Your GP decides what's clinically appropriate.
Bulk billed for eligible patients. If you're not eligible, a consultation fee may apply, and we'll confirm it with you before your consult.
Related guides: physiotherapists, psychologists and how long a referral lasts. When you're ready, request an allied health consult.
This page is general information, not medical advice.
Common questions
Can I see a dietitian without a referral?
How many dietitian sessions does Medicare cover?
Under a GP chronic condition management plan, up to 5 individual allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across all allied health types, or 10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people [3][5]. Under an eating disorder treatment and management plan, up to 20 dietetic sessions in 12 months [7].
What's the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?
Does my dietitian referral need to name a specific dietitian?
Not under the chronic condition rules. Those referrals don't need to name a provider, and they last 18 months from your first session unless your GP writes a different period [4].
Does private health insurance cover dietitians?
Most private health funds offer rebates for dietitians, but amounts and limits vary, so check with your fund [2].
References
- Dietitians Australia. What dietitians do. Accessed November 2026. dietitiansaustralia.org.au/what-dietitans-do
- Queensland Government. Seeing a dietitian. Last updated 6 April 2022. Accessed November 2026. qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/diet-nutrition/dietitians
- MBS Online. Explanatory note AN.15.3: Overview of MBS items to support the management of chronic conditions in general practice. Accessed November 2026. www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=AN.15.3&qt=noteID
- MBS Online. Explanatory note AN.15.6: Referral requirements for allied health and other primary health care services. Accessed November 2026. www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=AN.15.6&qt=noteID
- MBS Online. Item 10954: Dietetics health service (chronic condition management). Schedule fee updated 1 July 2026. Accessed November 2026. www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=10954&qt=item
- MBS Online. Explanatory note AN.15.5: GP chronic condition management plans, transition arrangements. Accessed November 2026. www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=AN.15.5&qt=noteID
- MBS Online. Item 82350: Eating disorder dietetic treatment service, and associated notes. Schedule fee updated 1 July 2026. Accessed November 2026. www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=82350&qt=item
- Department of Veterans' Affairs. Allied health treatment cycle. Accessed November 2026. dva.gov.au/get-support/health-support/health-services/allied-health-tr
- healthdirect. Mental health helplines. Last reviewed November 2025. Accessed November 2026. healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-helplines
Published by Referral GP. Last updated 6 November 2026. This page is general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice about your own situation. If you or someone else is in danger, call 000.