People arrive with a care plan and no clear idea what it does. That is not their fault — the name changed recently, the item numbers are invisible to patients, and nobody explains the money part. Here is the whole thing, plainly.
What it is
A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan — GPCCMP, previously called a GP Management Plan — is written by your GP for a condition that has been present for six months or longer. It sets goals, coordinates care, and unlocks Medicare rebates on allied health.
What it covers
Typically up to five allied health sessions per calendar year, across all providers combined. That last part surprises people: if you use three with a podiatrist, you have two left for physiotherapy, not five.
Your referral names a profession. Item 10960 is physiotherapy; item 10953 is exercise physiology. If you want both, say so at the GP appointment — changing it afterwards means going back.
What you actually pay
This is the part worth reading twice. We do not bulk bill. You pay the full appointment fee on the day by EFTPOS, and Medicare returns the rebate directly to your bank account, either electronically or through HICAPS at reception.
So the plan reduces the cost of a visit; it does not remove it. Every current fee is published on our pricing page, so you can do the arithmetic before you book rather than at the counter.
What five sessions is honestly good for
Five sessions is not a rehabilitation program for a chronic problem. It is enough to get a proper assessment, a diagnosis you understand, a program written for you, and two or three check-ins to correct it as you go.
Most people with a long-standing problem — a knee, a back, a shoulder — then continue either privately or through our clinical classes, which are supervised, capped at four people, and generally claimable on private health extras. That is usually the more affordable way to do the twelve weeks that actually change things.
What to bring
- A copy of the care plan itself
- The referral naming physiotherapy or exercise physiology
- Your Medicare card
Email both documents ahead to info@forgewestend.com.au and we will have them on file before you arrive.
If you do not have a chronic condition
You do not need a referral at all to see us. No referral is required for a private appointment — bring one only if someone else is paying, which includes Medicare, DVA, WorkCover or an insurer.
Forge West End is at Unit 4, 249 Montague Road, West End. Book online or call 07 3844 0686 — we are open from 6am Monday to Friday.