MyMedicare

Registration in MyMedicare will provide a formal signal to your practice and your GP that you see them as your regular care team and will help them provide better coordinated and continuous healthcare. Your MyMedicare practice and preferred GP will appear on your My Health Record, unless you choose not to display this, so other health professionals you may see – for example at public hospitals – will know who to talk to about your regular care.

No, registration in MyMedicare is voluntary. Patients will still be able to access MBS-funded and DVA equivalent primary care services if they are not registered in MyMedicare.

Registration in MyMedicare is voluntary and open to Australians who have a Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Veteran Card. There is no charge to register.

Patient eligibility requirements are designed to ensure patients have an existing relationship with a practice and GP before registering in MyMedicare. This relationship is important in delivering high-value ongoing care to patients. These requirements will also reduce the risk of other practices attempting to register patients that don’t attend their practice.

Most patients will need to have 2 face-to-face visits with the same practice in the previous 24 months to be eligible to register. This is an appropriate threshold for most patients to show they attend a regular practice to access their care.

Yes, MyMedicare registration is open to all Australians, including people who receive DVA funded health services using a Veteran Gold or White Card. DVA Veteran Card holders can register with MyMedicare using their Veteran Card or Medicare card (if they have one).

Patients can only have one registration, which will apply to any relevant Medicare and/or DVA-funded service, regardless of if a Veteran Card or Medicare card has been used to register.

Patients who register with a DVA Veteran Card will need to fill out a registration form at the practice, as registration via Medicare online services can only be completed using a Medicare card. DVA clients who choose to use their Medicare card to register will have access to self-service features via their Medicare online services.

Yes, once a patient has registered with MyMedicare they will be able to change their registered practice at any time, noting eligibility requirements still apply. They will not need to inform their previous practice when registering with a new practice as the system will notify the previous practice of the change.

A patient can change their registered practice at any time by creating a new registration via any of the registration methods, noting they will have to meet the eligibility criteria for the new practice to be able to register.

A patient can only have one active MyMedicare practice registration at any point in time. When a new registration is recorded, the previous registration will be automatically withdrawn and the practice will be notified. The patient can also change their preferred GP at any time using their Medicare online services or speaking with practice staff.

MyMedicare is a new voluntary patient registration system that will enable patients to register with their regular general practice, preferred GP and primary care team to deliver greater continuity of care.

My Health Record is Australia’s secure national electronic health record system. My Health Record is a secure online summary of a patient’s clinical health information. It provides patients and their healthcare providers with access to vital health information at the point of care, including in an emergency. This can include shared health summary, current medicines and prescriptions, immunisation history, hospital discharge information and Medicare, DVA and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) claims history.

Unlike the My Health Record, MyMedicare will not hold clinical health information about the patient. Its purpose is to link the patient with their regular practice and support continuous care at that practice. The details of a patient’s registered practice and preferred GP will be visible in the patient’s My Health Record, unless they choose not to display this, so other treating clinicians can see who the patient’s regular practice and preferred GP are. More information on My Health Record is available at www.healthdirect.gov.au/my-healthrecord.