MyMedicare

What is MyMedicare?

MyMedicare is a voluntary patient registration system that aims to formalise the relationship between patients, their general practice, general practitioner (GP) and primary care teams.

Seeing your GP regularly and formalising the relationship you have with your GP and general practice through MyMedicare can lead to better health outcomes.

By registering as a patient of your chosen general practice and selecting a preferred GP, additional funding will be available from the government to assist your primary care team to deliver the care you need.

It is voluntary and free to register in MyMedicare, and registration is open to Australians with a Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Veteran Card. To find out if you’re eligible for MyMedicare read the Registering in MyMedicare factsheet.

MyMedicare is a registration system and won’t hold any of your clinical health information. Your clinical health information will continue to be stored in your My Health Record, if you have one. All personal information recorded in MyMedicare, including your chosen healthcare providers, will be kept secure and your privacy will be maintained. Read the MyMedicare Privacy Notice at health.gov.au/mymedicare-privacy for further information.

Benefits of registering for MyMedicare

Many general practices across Australia have registered in MyMedicare to support them in offering tailored care and services to fit the needs of their regular patients.

By registering in MyMedicare, you may benefit from:

• A formalised relationship with your general practice or GP, which has shown to improve health outcomes.
• Longer Medicare Benefit Scheme (MBS) funded telehealth consultations with your GP.
• Incentive for longer telehealth consultations for children under 16 and Commonwealth Card Concession card holders, from 1 November 2023.
• More regular visits from your GP and better care planning for people living in a residential aged care home, from August 2024.
• Connections to more appropriate care in general practice for people who visit hospital frequently, from mid-2024.

Is it compulsory to register?

No, registration is voluntary. You can choose not to register, but you will miss out on the extra Medicare benefits that you could be receiving by choosing our medical clinic as your preferred Clinic

When will registrations open and close?

All patients can register for MyMedicare from 1 October 2023. There is no close date or deadline to register.

Can I register with more than one clinic?

No, the goal of MyMedicare is to help strengthen the relationship you have with your preferred medical centre and doctor. Children are exempt from needing to have visited their GP twice in the past 24 months.

Do I need to register children?

Registration is optional for all patients. If you want to receive the MyMedicare benefits for your children, you will need to register each child with MyMedicare and choose their preferred clinic and GP.

A parent/guardian must register a child under 14 years and provide consent on their behalf. This will need to be completed at the practice via the paper form only.

Young people aged 14 to 17 years can register and provide consent without a parent/guardian. If a parent or guardian registers a minor aged between 14 and 17 years, the minor will need to tick a box declaring they have provided informed consent.

Am I "locked in" to a clinic once I register?

No. You can visit any medical centre or doctor you like; however, you will only receive the extra Medicare benefits at your chosen 'home' clinic. If you change your mind, you can also unregister at any time.

How do I register for My Medicare?

There are multiple ways you can register with your chosen practice in MyMedicare:

• Start the registration process in your Medicare Online Account or Express Plus Medicare Mobile app. Practice staff will then accept the registration in the MyMedicare system.
• Your practice may start the registration in MyMedicare or you can ask them to do this. This will trigger a registration in your Medicare Online Account or Express Plus Medicare Mobile app, which you can then complete.
• Fill out a registration form and provide it to your practice. By signing the form, you are giving consent to participate in MyMedicare. Practice staff will then complete the registration in the MyMedicare system.
• Or scan the QR code for quick access from your phone and your MyMedicare registration will be sent directly to our clinic for us to register you.

MyMedicare and your privacy

The personal information you provide when registering in MyMedicare can be kept secure and your privacy will be maintained.

The MyMedicare Privacy Notice explains how Australian Government agencies will manage personal information consistent with the Privacy Act and how information about MyMedicare program participants will be collected, used and disclosed. Read the MyMedicare Privacy Notice at health.gov.au/mymedicare-privacy.

Talk to your regular general practice or GP about registering in MyMedicare, or find out more at health.gov.au/mymedicare

For more information regarding MyMedicare please visit.

https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/mymedicare?language=en