Medicare & Private Occupational Therapy
You do not need the NDIS to see an occupational therapist. Medicare rebates can cover part of the cost when your GP sets up a chronic condition plan, and private clients can book directly with no referral at all. Here is how both paths work.
How Medicare covers occupational therapy
Since 1 July 2025, GPs use a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP), which replaced the old GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements. If you have a chronic condition, your GP can refer you to occupational therapy under this plan.
Who can get a plan
Your GP can prepare a GPCCMP if you have at least one condition that has been present, or is likely to be present, for six months or more. There is no fixed list of conditions; it is your GP’s clinical judgement. Arthritis, stroke recovery, neurological conditions, chronic pain and mental health conditions are common examples.
What you get
Medicare rebates up to five allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across all allied health services on your plan (ten for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people). Occupational therapy is one of the eligible services. Your GP decides how the five sessions are split.
What it costs
Allied health providers set their own fees. Depending on the provider and service, sessions may be bulk billed (no out-of-pocket cost) or charged with a gap on top of the Medicare rebate. Ask us about current fees when you book; we will always tell you the cost before your first visit.
Getting OT through Medicare, step by step
See your GP
Ask whether a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan suits your situation. If you already have an older care plan, it can still be used for referrals during the transition period, until 30 June 2027.
GP refers to OT
Your GP writes a referral for allied health services under the plan. The referral does not have to name a specific provider, so you can choose Youcentric even if another name is on the paperwork.
We book you in
Send us the referral or have your GP fax or email it. We respond within 24 hours and see you at home, which matters when the goal is managing daily life in your own environment.
Rebate processed
After each session the Medicare rebate is processed, and we report back to your GP as the plan requires. If you use up your five sessions, we will talk through private and other funding options.
Medicare and mental health occupational therapy
Separate from the chronic condition pathway, Medicare’s Better Access initiative provides rebates for up to ten individual mental health sessions per calendar year with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, delivered by suitably qualified providers, which can include occupational therapists with mental health endorsement. Ask us about current availability of Medicare-rebated mental health OT, or read about our mental health occupational therapy services.
Private occupational therapy: no referral needed
Anyone can book an occupational therapist privately. No GP, no plan, no waiting on paperwork. Private OT suits people who want an assessment quickly, need a service Medicare does not cover, have used their plan sessions, or are funding through private health insurance extras (check your fund for OT cover).
Common private services
Home safety and falls assessments, equipment prescriptions, home modification advice, daily living assessments for insurers and lawyers, and therapy for recovery goals.
Fast and flexible
Because there is no scheme paperwork, private bookings are usually the fastest path to being seen. We respond within 24 hours and provide clear fixed quotes before starting.
Older Australians
If you are 65 or over, government-subsidised support may be available through the Support at Home program instead. See our aged care occupational therapy page for how that works.
Read more
Our guide to bulk-billed occupational therapy and Medicare covers eligibility and costs in more detail.
Medicare and private OT: your questions answered
Does Medicare cover occupational therapy?
How many OT sessions does Medicare cover per year?
Is occupational therapy bulk billed?
Do I need a referral to see an OT?
My care plan is from before July 2025. Is it still valid?
Does private health insurance cover OT?
Medicare arrangements described here are current as at July 2026 and can change. Rebate amounts vary; confirm current details with your GP, Services Australia or MBS Online. This page is general information, not medical or financial advice.
Ready to book, with or without a referral?
Call us or send an enquiry. We respond within 24 hours and come to you across Liverpool, Western Sydney and Greater Sydney.