Yes — Medicare covers exercise physiology, but only through a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan arranged by your GP. If you have a chronic condition, your GP can refer you for up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health sessions per calendar year, which you can use for exercise physiology. Medicare pays a set rebate per session and you cover a small gap. Here’s exactly how it works, who’s eligible, and how to claim.

Does Medicare cover exercise physiology?

Yes, but not as a standalone Medicare item you can book yourself. Exercise physiology is covered when your GP includes it in a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan — formerly called an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan, and made up of a GP Management Plan plus a Team Care Arrangement. Once that’s in place, your GP refers you to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Medicare subsidises each session. Without a CDM plan, exercise physiology isn’t Medicare-funded — but it may still be claimable through private health, the NDIS, WorkCover, the TAC or DVA.

How many Medicare sessions of exercise physiology do you get?

A CDM plan provides up to five Medicare-subsidised allied health sessions per calendar year. Importantly, those five are shared across all allied health services you use under the plan — so if you also see, say, a podiatrist or dietitian under the same plan, those visits come out of the same five. Your GP decides how to allocate them. If you have a condition like type 2 diabetes there can be additional diabetes-specific arrangements, so it’s worth asking your GP what you’re entitled to.

How much is the Medicare rebate for exercise physiology?

Medicare pays a set rebate for each allied health session under a CDM plan — around $61–$62 per session in 2026 — and the provider may charge a gap on top, or in some cases bulk-bill. The exact out-of-pocket cost depends on the clinic’s fee. Because the rebate is fixed and modest, many people use their five Medicare sessions to get started and learn their program, then continue privately or via private health once their subsidised sessions run out.

Who is eligible for Medicare-funded exercise physiology?

You’re potentially eligible if you have a chronic medical condition — generally one that has lasted, or is likely to last, at least six months. Common qualifying conditions include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, osteoporosis, obesity and chronic pain. Your GP makes the final call on whether a CDM plan is appropriate and whether exercise physiology should be part of it. No specialist referral is required.

How do you claim Medicare for exercise physiology?

Book a longer GP appointment and ask about a Chronic Disease Management plan that includes exercise physiology. If your GP agrees, they prepare the plan and give you a referral to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Take that referral to your first session; the provider processes the Medicare rebate (often on the spot) and you pay any gap. If you’re in South Melbourne, you can see our team at Revolution Personal Training — read more on our exercise physiology page or call 1300 362 311 to check your options.