Reasons to register with MyMedicare
Older Australians could improve their access to medical treatment by building a better relationship with their GP clinic.
Not the same
MyMedicare should not be confused with My Health Record.
MyMedicare is a registration system that records your details and the details of your regular general practice and primary care team.
MyMedicare cannot hold any of your clinical health information. Your clinical information will continue to be available in your My Health Record, if you have one.
If you do not wish for your MyMedicare registration to appear on your My Health Record, you can choose this option in your My Health Record
MyMedicare is a free and voluntary patient registration model that aims to strengthen the relationship between patients, their general practice, doctor, and primary care teams.
The Department of Health and Aged Care says evidence shows that seeing the same GP and healthcare team regularly leads to better health outcomes.
My Health Record provides patients and their healthcare providers with access to vital health information at the point of care, including in an emergency. This can include shared health summaries, current medicines and prescriptions, immunisation history, hospital discharge information, and Medicare, DVA and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme history.
As part of your MyMedicare registration, your chosen practice and GP will appear on your My Health Record to ensure all health professionals you see – for example, at a public hospital – will know who to talk to about your regular care.
As a bonus, when you register in MyMedicare and select a preferred GP, the Australian Government will provide additional funding to assist the general practice in providing targeted care such as bulk billed longer funded telehealth consultations at the new higher rate for children under 16 and Commonwealth concession card holders.
Registering with MyMedicare tells your general practice that you see them as your regular care team and this will help them to provide you with better care, the department said in a statement promoting MyMedicare.
If you choose not to register with MyMedicare, you will continue to be able to access the same care from your healthcare providers as you currently do.
Other benefits for patients include:
- For people living in a residential aged care home, more regular visits from their GP and better care planning, from August 2024
- For people with chronic disease who visit hospital frequently, connections to more appropriate care in general practice, from mid-2024.
MyMedicare is voluntary and open to Australians with a Medicare or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card.
You are eligible to register if you’ve had two or more face-to-face appointments at your regular practice in the past 24 months or one face-to-face visit for practices in remote locations.
People who are facing hardship will be exempt from all eligibility requirements. This includes people experiencing domestic and family violence and homelessness.
Patients register with their regular general practice and select their preferred GP in MyMedicare. Patients can register with:
- An accredited general practice
- An Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service or Aboriginal Medical Service
- A nurse practitioner-led practice with a GP
- Other non-traditional practice (who meet the healthcare provider registration and eligibility criteria).
Your chosen practice must be registered in MyMedicare before you can start your own patient registration.
Related reading: Health Department, Services Australia
