Medicare Patient Benefit

Medicare benefits help to cover the costs associated with visits to a health professional, such as a doctor or specialist.

Some medical services are subsidised by the Australian Government. These are outlined in the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

Some doctors or specialists will bulk bill these services. This means they will accept the Medicare benefit as full payment for the service.

If your doctor does not bulk bill, you will have to pay for the services you receive. If the service is covered by Medicare you can claim back all or part of the amount you have paid.

You can claim your Medicare benefits in several ways:

• at your doctor’s office
• online through Medicare Online Services (for simple GP consultation services only)
• at your nearest Medicare Service Centre
• by mailing your completed claim form to Medicare, GPO Box 9822
• by phone on 1300 360 460
• at a Medicare Access Point
• by using Medicare two-way (if you are a member of a participating private health fund)