Medicare
Bulk Billed Podiatry and Physiotherapy in Darra, Brisbane
If your GP refers you under a Chronic Condition Management Plan, we bulk bill your standard Podiatry and Physiotherapy appointments at our Darra clinic. Medicare is billed directly and there is nothing for you to pay on the day.
Billed directly to Medicare
Bulk billed
Standard Podiatry and Physiotherapy appointments at our Darra clinic, under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan referral. Private health claimed on the spot via HICAPS.
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We will check your referral, answer your questions and find a time that suits you. No referral yet? Still get in touch. We can explain what to ask your GP.
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One of our team will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, please call us on (07) 3187 5018.
What bulk billing actually means
Bulk billing means we bill Medicare directly and accept the Medicare benefit as full payment for the appointment. You are not charged a gap fee, you do not pay upfront, and there is no rebate for you to claim back afterwards. You swipe your Medicare card and that is the end of it.
Plenty of clinics accept a Medicare referral but still charge the difference between their fee and the Medicare benefit. That gap is often forty or fifty dollars a visit, which adds up quickly across a course of treatment. We do not charge it on these appointments.
This applies to standard, in-person appointments at our Darra clinic under a valid GP referral. Extended and specialised consultations, and home or community visits, are charged normally based on the service provided. We will always tell you which applies before you book.
Quick check
Am I eligible for bulk billed appointments?
Four quick questions. Nothing is sent anywhere, and your answers stay on your device.
What to say to your GP
This is a guide only. Your GP decides whether a plan is right for you, and Medicare rules apply.
How the GP referral pathway works
Medicare funds allied health for people managing a chronic condition. Since 1 July 2025 this runs through a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, which replaced the older GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements.
See your GP
Ask whether a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan is right for you. Your GP decides eligibility. It generally applies where a condition has lasted, or is expected to last, at least six months.
Get a referral
If a plan is put in place, your GP writes a referral to the allied health services you need. You choose the provider. The referral stays valid for 18 months.
Book with us
Bring the referral and your Medicare card to our Darra clinic. Tell us it is a Chronic Condition Management Plan referral when you book so we allocate the right appointment type.
We bill Medicare
We bulk bill the appointment, so you pay nothing on the day. We also send a written report back to your GP after your first and last visit, which Medicare requires.
Medicare allows up to 5 individual allied health services per calendar year under a Chronic Condition Management Plan, and up to 10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. Those 5 can all go to one discipline or be split across several, for example 3 Podiatry and 2 Physiotherapy. Unused services do not carry over to the following year. Your GP determines eligibility, not us.
What we treat under a Medicare referral
Bulk billed Podiatry
Diabetes foot assessments and ongoing diabetic foot care, circulation and sensation testing, nail and skin care that has become hard to manage, corns and callus, heel and arch pain, footwear advice and orthotic assessment, and foot problems that affect how safely you walk.
Explore our Podiatry servicesBulk billed Physiotherapy
Mobility and gait, balance and falls prevention, strength and conditioning, rehabilitation after injury or surgery, neurological physiotherapy, and persistent pain that is limiting what you can do day to day.
Explore our Physiotherapy servicesBulk billed Podiatry and Physio near you
Our clinic is at 1/19 Railway Parade, Darra, in Brisbane's south-west. Bulk billed appointments take place here at the clinic, which makes it a practical option if you live in or near:
Suburb does not affect eligibility. If your GP has referred you under a Chronic Condition Management Plan, you can be bulk billed at our clinic wherever you live.
Get directions to our clinicNo referral? You can still see us
A GP referral is only one way in. We also see private clients, and we can claim private health on the spot through HICAPS so you only pay the gap. NDIS participants and Support at Home clients are funded through their own plans rather than Medicare. Home and community visits sit outside the bulk billing arrangement and are quoted before we attend.
If you are not sure which applies to you, call us and describe your situation. It usually takes one short conversation to work out the cheapest legitimate way for you to be seen.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us most about bulk billing and Medicare referrals.
Do you really bulk bill, with no gap fee?
Yes. On standard Podiatry and Physiotherapy appointments at our Darra clinic, booked under a valid GP Chronic Condition Management Plan referral, we bill Medicare directly and accept the benefit as full payment. There is nothing to pay on the day and nothing to claim back.
Is every appointment bulk billed?
Standard consultations are. Extended appointments and specialised consults take longer or involve additional treatment, and those attract a fee based on the service provided. Home and community visits are also outside the bulk billing arrangement. You will know the cost before the appointment, never after it.
Can I be bulk billed for a home visit?
No. Bulk billing applies to in-person appointments at our Darra clinic. We do travel for home and community visits, and we are glad to, but those are quoted separately. If getting to Darra is the barrier, tell us and we will talk through the options.
How do I get a GP referral?
Book with your usual GP and ask whether a Chronic Condition Management Plan is appropriate for you. Your GP decides that, based on your health. If a plan is created, they can refer you to us.
Am I eligible?
Eligibility is a clinical decision your GP makes. Broadly, these plans are for people managing a chronic condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least six months. Diabetes, arthritis, heart and lung conditions and neurological conditions are common examples, but there is no fixed list.
How many appointments do I get?
Medicare allows up to 5 individual allied health services per calendar year under a plan, or up to 10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. You can use all 5 with one discipline or split them, and they reset each calendar year without rolling over.
What if I need more than 5 visits?
Many people do, particularly in the early stages of treatment. Once the Medicare-funded visits are used, we continue as a private appointment, and you can claim through private health where you have cover. We will tell you clearly when you are approaching the limit rather than letting you find out at the desk.
I still have an old GP Management Plan or Team Care Arrangement. Is it valid?
Plans put in place before 1 July 2025 can still be used for services consistent with them until 30 June 2027. After that a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan is required. Bring whatever you have and we will check it.
What do I need to bring?
Your referral, your Medicare card, and any relevant imaging or specialist letters. If you have diabetes, bring your most recent blood results and a list of your current medications.
Do you send anything back to my GP?
Yes, and Medicare requires it. We write to your referring GP after your first and last appointment under the referral, and more often if something clinically important comes up.
Common questions about bulk billing
Do I need a referral for bulk billed physiotherapy or podiatry?
Yes. Bulk billing through Medicare requires a Chronic Condition Management Plan from your GP, along with a referral to allied health. Your GP decides whether a plan is right for you. If you do not have one yet, call us on (07) 3187 5018 and we will explain what to ask your GP.
How many bulk billed appointments can I have?
Medicare covers up to 5 allied health visits a calendar year under a Chronic Condition Management Plan. Those 5 visits are shared across all allied health providers you see, not 5 per provider.
What does bulk billed actually mean?
It means there is no gap to pay. We bill Medicare directly for your standard Physiotherapy or Podiatry appointment at our Darra clinic, and you pay nothing on the day.
Which services are bulk billed?
Standard Physiotherapy and Podiatry appointments at our Darra clinic are bulk billed with a valid GP Chronic Condition Management Plan referral. Occupational Therapy, Allied Health Assistant sessions, Massage Therapy and home visits are not bulk billed, and fees apply.
Do you bulk bill home visits?
No. Bulk billed appointments are at our clinic at 1/19 Railway Pde, Darra. We do provide home visits across Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich, and fees apply for those.
What conditions count as chronic?
A chronic condition is one that has lasted, or is likely to last, six months or more. Common examples include diabetes, arthritis, heart and lung conditions, stroke, Parkinson's disease and persistent pain. Your GP makes the decision.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
Bring your GP referral and Chronic Condition Management Plan, your Medicare card, a list of your medications, and comfortable footwear you wear day to day. If you use a walking aid, bring that too.
Bring your referral and your Medicare card
We see clients at our Darra clinic and we travel across Brisbane. Call us, or send an enquiry and we will get back to you.