So someone’s told you about this thing from Medicare that pays for their Podiatry visit and you’re not sure what they’re talking about? Are you wanting to know if you can get the same thing and not sure what to do next? They’re most likely referring to a government funding program that’s been introduced since 1999. Read on to find out the nuts and bolts of the Medicare Government funding program called the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Program or sometimes referred to as Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) or Team Care Arrangement (TCA). AM I ELIGIBLE FOR THIS MEDICARE REBATE?This government funding initiative is aimed at supporting those who have one or more chronic medical conditions. A chronic medical condition is one that persists for a long time, lasting 3 months or more. So first and foremost, if you have a chronic condition such as the examples listed below then you would be eligible:
It is important to highlight at this point that the program could apply to you because you, as a patient, have a chronic condition. Your eligibility is NOT based on your age or economic status such as being on a Pension or a Healthcare card. HOW DOES IT WORK?The Medicare CDM Program allows for a total of up to five (5) rebated consults to any referred allied health practitioner, per year. This can include Podiatry, Osteopathy, Dietetics, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology, etc. Your GP will be in charge of this referral process as they can assess if you are eligible or not and can put in place a referral for you to access these services. So, for instance, your GP may refer you for three (3) Podiatry consults and two (2) Osteopath consults – this will maximise your 5 eligible visits. This number is renewed each year, but you will need a new referral each year. If you don’t use up your 5 eligible visits it does not carry over to the next year. The referral can be issued at any time of the year (not necessarily the calendar year), however only five visits are able to be claimed each calendar year. IN SUMMARY:
So what are you waiting for? Get to your GP asap to ask them whether you are eligible for a CDM referral to see a Podiatrist – hopefully us because we love to help get you back on your feet and get back to doing what you love! Booking an appointment with us is super easy. You can do so ONLINE or call our friendly help team on (03) 9711 7562. We’re here to help! Ngan (Kim) Harwoodhttp://www.thefootcareclinic.com.au Kim is the Senior Podiatrist, Director of The Footcare Clinic, a Mum to 3 beautiful kids and an Ultramarathoner in her spare time. She opened the clinic in 1998 and is grateful for the opportunity to provide a professional Podiatry service to the local community for more than 20 years. To learn more about Kim and the team, click HERE. |
