Can I get a Medicare rebate to see a dietitian?

Medicare can pay a rebate towards seeing a dietitian if your GP refers you under one of the eligible pathways: a chronic condition care plan (a GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements), an Eating Disorder Plan, or allied health follow-up after an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment. Only your GP can decide if you are eligible and prepare the referral. Without a referral or care plan there is no Medicare rebate for a dietitian.

It depends on the pathway. Under a chronic condition care plan you can access up to 5 allied health visits per calendar year, and that limit is shared across all allied health (for example dietitian, physiotherapist and podiatrist combined). An Eating Disorder Plan can allow a larger block of dietitian visits over a 12-month plan. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander follow-up can allow up to 10 allied health visits per calendar year. Numbers can change, so confirm current items on MBS Online.

The Medicare benefit for an eligible dietitian visit is the amount Medicare pays back, not necessarily the full fee your dietitian charges. If your dietitian charges more than the schedule fee, you pay the difference (the gap). Some dietitians bulk bill, which means no gap. These figures are indexed, usually on 1 July, so confirm the current benefit on MBS Online. Figures on this page are stated from 1 July 2026.

Yes. A Medicare rebate for a dietitian always needs a referral or care plan from your GP first. That might be a referral under an active GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements, an Eating Disorder Plan, or an allied health follow-up referral after an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment. Book a longer GP appointment and ask whether a care plan is right for you.

Yes. You can see a dietitian privately at any time without a GP referral, you just will not receive a Medicare rebate. Many private health funds pay a benefit towards dietitian visits through their extras cover, so it is worth checking your policy. You can also ask your GP whether a Medicare care plan is appropriate for your situation.

No. The rebate is the Medicare benefit, the set amount Medicare pays back for an eligible visit. Bulk billing is when the dietitian accepts that benefit as full payment, so you pay nothing on the day. If the dietitian charges above the schedule fee and does not bulk bill, you pay the gap. Whether a dietitian bulk bills is up to that practice, so ask when you book.