Do I need a referral for a physiotherapist?

Can I see a physio without a referral?

Yes. You don't need a GP referral to see a physiotherapist in Australia ^[1]. You can book directly, pay the physio's fee, and claim part of it back through private health extras if your policy covers physio ^[1].

A GP visit can still be useful. A GP can talk through your treatment options, and Medicare only helps with the cost of some visits, for certain conditions, if your doctor has referred you ^[1].

When do you need a referral for physio?

How do I get a Medicare rebate for physio?

Medicare rebates for physio outside hospital mostly come through chronic condition management. Since 1 July 2025, the old GP management plans and team care arrangements have been replaced by a single GP chronic condition management plan, often shortened to GPCCMP ^[2].

Here's how it works:

• You need a chronic condition and complex care needs that your GP is managing under a plan ^[4].
• Your plan must be current. It needs to have been prepared or reviewed in the last 18 months ^[2].
• You get up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year (10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) ^[2]. The 5 are shared across allied health types, so physio, podiatry and dietetics all draw from the same pool ^[4].
• Each session must run at least 20 minutes and be something your plan recommends ^[4].

Who can write the plan?

This is where the rules have tightened. If you're registered with a practice through MyMedicare, you must get your chronic condition management services through that practice. If you're not registered, you can get them from your usual medical practitioner ^[2]. Plans can be prepared by video or phone, but the same rule applies ^[2].

In practice, that means the GP you see regularly. A GP you see once for a referral usually won't meet that test.

What the referral looks like now

Since 1 July 2025, allied health referrals are a letter rather than the old form ^[3]. The referral:

• must be in writing, signed (an electronic signature is fine) and dated, and explain why you're being referred ^[3]
• doesn't need to name a particular physio, so you can choose your own ^[3]
• doesn't need to state a number of sessions, though your GP can choose to ^[3]
• lasts 18 months from your first session, unless your GP writes a different period, and can't be indefinite ^[3]

A physiotherapy referral can only be used for physiotherapy, not for a related service like chiropractic ^[3].

Already have an old care plan?

If you had a GP management plan or team care arrangement in place before 1 July 2025, you can keep using allied health services under it until 30 June 2027. Referrals written before 1 July 2025 stay valid until all the services on them are used ^[5].

How much is the Medicare rebate for physio?

For a standard physio session under a chronic condition plan (item 10960), the Medicare schedule fee is $74.55 and the Medicare benefit is $63.40, as listed on MBS Online in November 2026 ^[4].

Physios set their own fees. If yours charges more than the schedule fee, you pay the difference. Ask when you book.

Do DVA clients need a referral for physio?

Generally yes. DVA allied health treatment works on a treatment cycle that starts with a GP referral. A referral covers up to 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first. At the end of the cycle, the physio reports back to your GP, who decides whether you need another referral ^[6].

Referrals usually come from your usual GP, although a specialist or hospital discharge planner can make the first one ^[6]. TPI Gold Card holders are exempt from the treatment cycle for physiotherapy and exercise physiology, and can have as many sessions as are clinically necessary within their existing referral period ^[6].

What about WorkCover and workers' compensation?

Workers' compensation is run by each state and territory, so the rules differ. In Queensland, for example, a claim isn't valid without a work capacity certificate. It must be completed by a doctor, a nurse practitioner for minor injuries, or a dentist for oral injuries. WorkCover won't accept one completed by an allied health provider, including a physio ^[7].

If you've been hurt at work, talk to your insurer or claims manager before you start treatment so you know what they'll pay for.

Does private health insurance cover physio?

It might. Some extras policies include physiotherapy, so check what your plan covers before you book ^[1]. Ask your fund about annual limits and waiting periods too.

Getting a referral

Referral GP offers telehealth consultations by phone or video with AHPRA-registered Australian GPs. A GP can talk through your injury or condition and, where it's clinically appropriate, write a referral letter for a physio or request imaging such as an X-ray or MRI. For a Medicare-rebated physio 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.

Want to know more? Read how long a referral lasts or the podiatrist referral guide. When you're ready, request an allied health consult.

This page is general information, not medical advice.