Changes to Medicare chronic condition management

Until now, people with chronic conditions were managed under 2 key Medicare-funded structures in primary care (general practice):

• The GP Management Plan (GPMP) - a structured care plan created by the GP which enabled access to Medicare-subsidised appointments with other healthcare providers, and;
• Team Care Arrangement (TCA) – involving a team of healthcare providers

The GPMP and TCA were replaced by a new Medicare-funded program on 1st July 2025, called the General Practice Chronic Condition Management Plan, or GPCCMP.

If you have an existing GPMP or TCA, you can continue to access services consistent with those plans. There is no immediate action required.

What is a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan?

A GPCCMP provides the following for people with diabetes:

• Personalised Diabetes Care Plan

  • A written plan, developed by your GP and/or nurse in consultation with you which is tailored to your individual needs
  • Includes your management goals, medication, diet, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring and other self-care strategies, as relevant to your individual needs
• Coordinated care from a team of providers
  • Your GP will coordinate care with other health professionals, such as:
    • Diabetes Educators
    • Dietitians
    • Podiatrists
    • Exercise Physiologists
    • Endocrinologists (diabetes specialists), if required
• This ensures all providers are working together to support your diabetes management

Access to Medicare-Subsidised Allied Health Services

• You may be eligible for up to 5 subsidised visits per calendar year to allied health through Medicare
• These services are designed to lower the risk of complications, support healthy choices, and improve long-term outcomes

Regular reviews and monitoring

• The plan includes scheduled reviews to check your progress, adjust medication/treatment, and update your goals
• This may involve reviewing your blood glucose levels, weight, blood pressure, HbA1c (a longer-term measure of how your blood glucose levels are tracking), and cholesterol (blood fats).

About the changes

• GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements are being replaced with the GP Chronic Condition Management Plan.
• People with chronic conditions are now required to have their plan established or reviewed in the last 18 months to access allied health and other services.
• People with an existing GPMP or TCA will not lose access to services.

What does this mean for me?

• Referrals written prior to 1 July 2025 as part of your GPMP or TCA will continue to be valid until all services under that referral have been provided until 30 June 2027.
• When you are due for a review of your GPMP or TCA, you will be transitioned to the new GPCCMP.
• You will still receive coordinated care for your chronic condition as you either start a new GPCCMP, or transition across to one
• The new plan combines and simplifies the old plans into a single, streamlined format
• You will still be able to access Medicare-subsidised services from allied health professionals, if clinically required under the new plan
• From 1 July 2027 you will need a GPCCMP to access Medicare-subsidised allied health and other services covered under the plan.

Why these changes are important

These changes were recommended by the MBS Review Taskforce, so the Australian Government is modernising and simplifying chronic disease management to:

• Reflect current clinical practices
• Support better long-term outcomes for people with chronic conditions through continuity of care and regular, ongoing reviews of your healthcare needs

Any of our professionals at the Diabetes Victoria Clinic can be added to your Chronic Condition Management Plan. Book an appointment today.