We are sure you’ve seen and heard about the new MyMedicare scheme that the government has introduced.
We want to fill you in on everything you need to know about the scheme and what it means for you and for us as your chosen practice.
This change is the beginning of the largest reforms made to Medicare in the lifetime of Medicare. Voluntary Patient Registration is the first step in a suite of changes to be introduced over the next few years. We appreciate your support of our practice by signing up to MyMedicare and listing us as your preferred practice.
Below we have outlined for you:
- How to register for MyMedicare
- What MyMedicare is and how it will affect you
- Common registration questions
How to register for MyMedicare
We would so appreciate your registration! Telling Medicare that we are your preferred General Practice helps us help you.
Registration is simple with just a few short questions. There are 3 ways you can register:
1. Online Registration through Medicare: most preferred!
Follow these steps on the Services Australia website
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/register-for-mymedicare
2. Online using our Hotdoc form: for those good with a computer but locked out of their Medicare online account
https://www.hotdoc.com.au/forms/the-bennelong-medical-clinic-mymedicare-registration
3. Paper form: available at our reception
Explaining MyMedicare
What is MyMedicare?
MyMedicare is a free, voluntary patient registration scheme that has been setup by the Australian government. Under the scheme, patients can nominate their preferred practice and GP in the Medicare app.
You do not need to register for My Health Record and you do not need to share any clinical information to be part of MyMedicare – you only need to disclose your preferred practice and GP. Signing up to a practice will also not prevent you from visiting other practices.
Funding under MyMedicare
In time, more and more government funding for General Practices will be tied to this scheme. For now, the major change is with telehealth. Longer telehealth appointments will now become available for patients when they are registered with a practice. All other patients can still access the Level B (<15 min) telehealth as normal.
We expect that more announcements will be made about the scheme in the new year. We have been warned that General Practices will come to heavily rely on this scheme in order to access any government funding. So whilst it is a slow start now, it will become very important to all of us in the near future. Stay tuned.
Is MyMedicare a good thing?
With everything, there are pro’s and con’s!
We feel that the spirit of MyMedicare is a positive thing for healthcare in Australia. Funding tied to MyMedicare is intended to strengthen the connection between practice and patient in order to improve long term outcomes for patients. We have always been strong believers and advocates of Medicare being designed to strengthen that relationship.
Everyday, we see the positive outcomes when patients receive continuity of care by attending a practice that knows them well. These patients tend to be hospitalised less, benefit from better symptom management, and have their preventative healthcare managed more closely with recalls and reminders. Patients who frequently move around practices have a scattered medical history. This means that some symptoms are not treated holistically and underlying or previous medical conditions are not considered in the treatment because the doctors do not have access to a whole history. They are also less likely to keep up with their routine cancer screenings and checks, meaning some illnesses are picked up later than they may otherwise have been. It’s good to get a second opinion every now and then, but changing regularly can mean that important checks and issues are overlooked.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about how the program will evolve and there has been very little communication from the government so far. We have been informed that major changes are just around the corner, so our plan is to crack on with it to avoid major stress when the time comes. The only way is up!
Common Registration Questions
Which doctor do I select?
The short answer is – it doesn’t matter too much. Pick whichever doctor you feel best fits you and that you see most frequently. As long as you choose ‘The Bennelong Medical Clinic’ as your practice, the benefits will be available to you regardless of which doctor is listed on your profile or who you see that day.
If you are a long-term patient of Dr Bryce’s, you are welcome to select her or the doctor you have been seeing most frequently since her sabbatical.
What if I don’t sign up?
In short, nothing! There is no obligation for you to sign up. But it may limit your access to certain services in the future and prevent us from accessing funding for certain services provided to you. We’d really appreciate your support but the choice is ultimately yours.