Care Plan

A Care Plan is a plan of action between a doctor and patient and is used to assist patients who have chronic, complicated health conditions and generally involves a team of allied healthcare providers. A Care Plan is also referred to as a GP Management Plan.

Your Care Plan helps doctors and other healthcare providers coordinate the treatment and support you need to manage your health condition.

Medical conditions eligible for Care Plans include conditions such as:

• Diabetes

• Asthma

• Arthritis

• Cancer

• Heart Disease

• Osteoporosis

• Or any other medical condition that has been present for more than 6 months

Your Plan will list your medical conditions, the types of services you will receive to treat those conditions, as well as who will provide those services and when. You can choose who provides your healthcare – let your doctor or nurse know who your preferred providers are when they create your care plan.

This plan of action is created to record goals and actions discussed between the patient and their GP, which aims to improve the patient’s health. It identifies a patient’s health care needs and priorities, outlines the services their GP will provide, and lists the actions the patient can take to help manage their condition.

Your Plan will cover the following:

• the patient’s healthcare needs, health problems and relevant conditions

• your management goals and actions.

• treatment and services that you may will need

• arrangements for providing the treatment and services

• arrangements to review the plan.

Patients are eligible if they  have a chronic condition for at least 6 months.

Patients with a GP Management Plan in place who also have complex care needs are eligible for a Team Care Arrangement. This allows GP’s to refer you for Medicare subsidised consultations with Allied health care providers, who will provide different ongoing treatment and communication with each other.

Once the Team care arrangement is in place, your GP can refer you  to your chosen healthcare providers and Medicare provide a rebate for up to five visits per calendar year with eligible Allied Health practitioners.