What is MyMedicare?
In a nutshell, MyMedicare lets you pick your GP out of all the GPs in Australia and as a result, enables some appointments to be bulk-billed (but only if you are registered with that GP).
MyMedicare is a new feature under Medicare that was launched in 2024, but the key benefits for patients have only just been rolled out in July 2025. To introduce something new to Medicare is a BIG deal! It’s like changing one of the key ingredients to great grandmas ANZAC biscuit recipe.
But why do this?
Finding the right GP is like finding a unicorn. They are magnificent, and damn hard to find. They are the frontline for almost everything medical you’ll need, including managing your day-to-day health, helping with mental health access and medications, and doing referrals to specialists. They perform a multitude of services and this is why it is so important to find the right one.
The evidence shows that if you stay with the same GP, your health will be better off. Yes, that’s right, seeing the same unicorn of a GP makes you feel better, for longer.
How does it work?
MyMedicare is a registration system only, and won’t store 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 provider, will be kept secure and your privacy will be maintained. For further information. read the MyMedicare Privacy Notice at health.gov.au/mymedicare-privacy.
MyMedicare needs you and your GP practice to opt-in. It’s an entirely voluntary and free service. Once you’re both signed up, you get the benefits.
What are the benefits?
Once you’re all signed up, MyMedicare will open its doors to the following perks:
- Because you’re registered with a regular GP/practice, you’ll consistently see the same provider/team, which tends to lead to better health outcomes
- Access to some bulk-billed in-person appointments once registered.
- Access to longer bulk-billed telephone appointments with your usual general practice.
- Connecting people with chronic disease who visit hospital frequently (around 10 times a year) is coming. Details on this are pretty thin so far so we’ll have to wait to see what this means in practice.
What are the barriers?
- You can only have one unicorn of a GP at a time, meaning you can only register for MyMedicare with only one GP.
In summary
Getting regular care from your GP of choice is always going to be a good thing, as it helps build a stronger, more trusting relationship between you and your doctor, ensures better continuity of care, and allows your GP to have a deeper understanding of your health needs over time.
Through MyMedicare you will have access to longer bulk-billed telephone appointments, bulk-billed care plans for chronic condition patients, and improved follow-up and preventive health planning.
How to register
To opt-in, as a Sage Medical patient, all you need to do is have your Medicare card details handy and follow the instructions in the link below:
Sage Medical West Footscray – MyMedicare Registration HotDoc
If you’re not tech savvy, that’s ok too. You can fill out the form at our reception when you next attend Sage Medical.
