MyMedicare: Your Frequently Asked Questions Answered
- MyMedicare
- Bryn Tardent-Powell
- September 12, 2023
A few weeks ago, we hosted a MyMedicare webinar in partnership with the AAPM for practice managers across Australia. We dedicated 30 minutes of the webinar to an extended expert Question & Answer. During this session we had over 200 questions submitted! We understand that there is limited information available regarding MyMedicare, and many have questions. We didn’t want to leave you hanging so we’ve decided to share the most frequently asked questions, and the answers we have at present!
Your Frequently Asked MyMedicare Questions Answered
What is MyMedicare?
MyMedicare is a new voluntary patient registration (VPR) initiative by the Federal Government aimed at strengthening the relationship between patients, their general practice, general practitioner (GP) and primary care teams.
Who should be registering for MyMedicare, the practice or the patient?
Registration for MyMedicare is open to patients, practices, and providers. It’s important to note that registration is entirely voluntary for all parties.
At present, only practices are able to register, patients will be able to register from 1 October 2023.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care.
How does a practice register for MyMedicare?
Eligible Practices can register via the MyMedicare website. You will need to link your PRODA account to HPOS, and then access the Organisation Register in HPOS.
For more information on registering your practice, including step-by-step instructions, please visit the Services Australia Health Professional Education website or checkout our guide for how to register your practice and providers with PRODA for MyMedicare.
Can you register for MyMedicare if you are not an accredited practice?
To be eligible for MyMedicare registration, it’s a requirement for general practices to have accreditation under the National General Practice Accreditation Scheme. Non-accredited practices will have 12-months to register with an accreditation agency and gain accreditation.
There is an accreditation exemption for non-accredited practices until 30 June 2025. Non-accredited practices, including sole providers, delivering general practice services through mobile and outreach models in specific contexts such as rural settings, residential aged care, disability residential settings, care for First Nations Australians, and assistance to people experiencing homelessness, can qualify for an accreditation exemption.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care’s eligibility criteria.
How can I see if my practice is registered for MyMedicare?
From 1 October 2023, you’ll be able to check if your practice is registered for MyMedicare by logging in to your PRODA/HPOS account. Once the MyMedicare program commences, you can add the MyMedicare program to your Organisation Site Record.
For more information please refer to Services Australia.
How does my practice benefit from registering for MyMedicare?
Registering for MyMedicare can greatly benefit your practice:
- Patient-Centred Care: MyMedicare helps you understand your patients’ preferences, making it easier to tailor your services to their needs.
- Telehealth Expansion: Registered practices can offer extended telehealth services, ensuring accessibility and convenience for patients.
- Continuity of Care: MyMedicare supports better continuity of care, leading to improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- Consistent Care: MyMedicare registration ensures patients receive care from their regular doctor and practice. Consistency is vital in avoiding situations where patients are seen by different doctors or at different practices, leading to fragmented care. Having a primary care provider who knows the patient’s medical history promotes better understanding and more effective treatment.
Does every doctor within the practice need to be registered in PRODA under the organisation?
Yes, any individual healthcare provider wishing to participate in MyMedicare must have access to HPOS and be registered under the organisation’s PRODA account.
Can doctors choose not to participate in MyMedicare?
Practitioners have the autonomy to decide whether to participate in MyMedicare; it is entirely at their discretion whether they choose to register or not.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care.
How do patients register for MyMedicare?
Patient registrations commence on 1 October 2023. Patients will have the choice to complete their registration either through online channels or by visiting their registered practice in person. Specific instructions on the registration process are yet to be released.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care.
Can patients registered with MyMedicare visit both locations of a multisite clinic with a shared database, or are they restricted to only one location?
The DOHAC are currently finalising the specifics of this process. As it stands, patients will be registered exclusively at their primary practice address, limiting registration to a single site.
What are the benefits for patients registering for MyMedicare?
Registering for MyMedicare offers patients several key benefits:
- Consistent Care from their Regular Doctor: MyMedicare registration ensures that patients receive care from their regular doctor and practice. This consistency is vital in avoiding situations where patients are seen by different doctors or at different practices, leading to fragmented care. Having a primary care provider who knows the patient’s medical history promotes better understanding and more effective treatment.
- Extended Telehealth Calls: Regular patients can access longer MBS-funded telephone consultations with their usual practice allowing for more thorough discussions about medical concerns, symptom management, and treatment plans without the need for an in-person visit.
- Triple Bulk Billing Incentives: Children under 16, pensioners and concession card holders can benefit from the triple bulk billing incentives for longer MBS telehealth consultations (Levels C, D and E). This incentive helps reduce financial barriers for vulnerable populations, making essential healthcare services more accessible.
When should patients start registering for MyMedicare?
Starting 1 October 2023, patients can register for MyMedicare.
To register patients, need to possess either a Medicare card or a Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) card. Patients will need to have had two face-to-face visits with your practice in the last 24 months to be eligible to register with your practice for MyMedicare.
Patients will have the choice to complete their registration either through online channels or by visiting their registered practice in person. Specific instructions on the registration process are yet to be released.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care.
Do MyMedicare registrations have to be renewed (e.g. after every 12 months)?
No, there is no requirement for renewal, as MyMedicare registrations persist unless the patient or practice decides to modify or withdraw the patient’s MyMedicare registration with the practice.
Who is responsible for registering patients to MyMedicare? The patient or the practice?
The responsibility for registering patients on MyMedicare lies with the patients themselves. Patients have the option to register online or by visiting their designated practice in person.
While the onus is on the patient to register, it’s the practice’s role to inform and educate patients about the benefits of registering at their specific practice.
Specific instructions on the registration process are yet to be released. When a patient registers with a practice, a practice can either accept or reject that patient’s registration.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care.
If a patient registers themselves for MyMedicare via the Medicare app, do they register for the practice or to their regular GP?
When a patient registers for MyMedicare using any method, they register with that particular practice. The registration of the patient is tied to the practice.
Does a practice have the option to approve, decline or cancel a patient that has requested to register with them for MyMedicare?
(e.g. A patient has been banned from the practice for inappropriate or abusive behaviour)
Yes, it does. In the initial phases, the practitioner must formally accept the patient, ensuring mutual agreement between both parties.
How do we know if a patient is registered with MyMedicare without going into PRODA to check? Will our software vendors be able to help us with this?
Software vendors are working closely with the DOHAC and Services Australia to implement these functionalities. Your specific vendor will keep you informed about any updates and their availability.
Can a patient register for MyMedicare at more than one practice?
No, patients are limited to registering at just one practice. This approach is designed to enhance continuity of care and enable practitioners to have comprehensive information about their regular patients.
If a patient is registered at a practice, but is unable to get an appointment are they able to attend another clinic?
Yes, a patient can choose to seek an appointment at another clinic if they are unable to secure one at their registered practice. However, it’s important to note that by doing so, the patient won’t be able to access the benefits linked to their MyMedicare registration at the alternative clinic.
For more information, please refer to The Department of Health and Aged Care.
Is there a timeline in which we need to register patients for MyMedicare?
No fixed timeframe exists for registering patients for MyMedicare. Starting from 1 October 2023, the registration process will persist as a continuous rollout without any predetermined end date.
Does a patient have to be a concession card holder to receive the triple bulk billing incentive for telehealth, or does every telehealth consultation get the incentive?
From November 2023, patients who are registered for MyMedicare will get access to longer Level C and D MBS-funded telephone consults with their registered practice.
From November 2023, Children under 16, pensioners and other Commonwealth concession card holders who have registered for MyMedicare will also have access to the triple bulk billing incentive for longer Level C, D and E MBS telehealth consults.
Only patients who have registered with your practice for MyMedicare will be able to claim these benefits.
For more information, please refer to the DOHAC’S MyMedicare factsheet.
Will patients be able to receive a care plan (CDM items) without registering to a practice at all?
Patients who have registered for MyMedicare can only claim standard CDM MBS items exclusively at their designated practice. However, patients who have chosen not to enrol in MyMedicare will continue to have the flexibility of accessing standard CDM MBS items at a practice of their preference, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
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