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Telehealth in Australia
Telehealth in Australia
Written by
Madeline Pettet
Edited by
Ellie Garran
Reviewed by
Andres GutierrezCompare Health Insurance Policies
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Long story short
In a telehealth appointment, you speak with your doctor via a phone or video call
The COVID-19 pandemic meant they became a lot more commonplace in Australia, and they’ve since stuck around.
Telehealth can be a convenient option for simple healthcare needs and those that don’t require a physical exam
It might be an option the next time you need a referral or medical certificate, to renew a prescription, or to have counselling.
Telehealth can sometimes be claimed on Medicare or your extras cover
It depends on your health insurance policy, along with your eligibility for a Medicare rebate.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth: when technology and healthcare collide. From something as simple as a phone call all the way to video chats and specialised apps, telehealth consultations now cover nearly every area of healthcare, from prevention and education to diagnosis and treatment.
The uptake of telehealth definitely sped up during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 118.2 million telehealth services were delivered between March 2020 and July 2022 alone.1Digitalhealth.gov.au – Telehealth
But if you thought the pandemic was the start of telehealth, you’d be pretty far off. Australians have been able to access virtual medical care in some form since 1927, when people in remote areas consulted doctors via Morse code.
While the technology has come a pretty long way since 1927, it’s still working to make healthcare more accessible and efficient. These days, telehealth does that by:
- making healthcare more accessible to people who might otherwise have challenges around time, mobility, or location
- allowing people in remote and rural areas to access a wider variety of services
- giving people access to specialists that practice interstate
- improving continuity of care.
During the pandemic, we also saw another advantage of telehealth: it’s great for limiting the spread of illness. If you’re infectious or need to self-isolate, you can still see the doctor without potentially passing on the bug. (And if you need to go to the doctor in person, you could be less likely to catch something from others.)
Can I claim telehealth on my health insurance?
Telehealth on its own isn’t a ‘service’ that you can claim on your health insurance. It’s a tool that’s used for a range of different health services. For health insurance, these usually fall under extras cover (because for treatments included in hospital cover you need to be admitted in hospital).
If you’re using telehealth to access a service that’s covered by your health insurance policy, some health funds have provisions for it. Of course, all the standard terms and conditions apply, like having completed any waiting periods and not having reached your limit for that extra. It never hurts to double check with your insurance provider before booking your telehealth appointment.
You can also sometimes claim telehealth on Medicare. That includes some GP appointments, as well as some appointments with many other medical practitioners and service providers. Out-of-hospital telehealth services can also fall under Medicare for those who live in an aged care facility or are accessing services through Aboriginal Medical Services.
What kinds of telehealth services are available?
You might be able to access all sorts of telehealth services. At the end of the day, it comes down to whether a practitioner has gotten on board with the technology or not. Provided they’re in the affirmative camp, you should be able to use telehealth for a wide range of services.
Of course, your appointment also needs to suit the telehealth style. Something routine, like getting a referral for a blood test, or even a prescription and a medical certificate for a suspected sinus infection, could be perfect for telehealth. However, if you think you might need a physical examination, you’ll probably need to book a face-to-face appointment.
Helpful tip
If you’ve recently been discharged after an operation, telehealth could form part of your post-hospital treatment, This could help you keep in touch with your care team, without you needing to return to their rooms – and you might really appreciate this convenience if your mobility has been affected.
Many hospital insurance policies offer options for rehabilitating at home, so you can recover where you feel most comfortable with loved ones nearby. We can help you compare health insurance that includes this, along with relevant telehealth programs.
Andres Gutierrez
General Manager – Health
Do telehealth services have any restrictions?
You may want to keep in mind that there are a few restrictions to the telehealth services you can claim on Medicare.
Mainly, to be eligible for a Medicare rebate on your GP telehealth appointment, you’ll need to have seen that doctor (or another at the same practice) for an old-fashioned face-to-face appointment at least once in the last 12 months. In the biz, this is known as an ‘established clinical relationship.’ Of course, you’re still welcome to have a telehealth appointment if a doctor offers it and you don’t have this kind of relationship. You just won’t be able to claim the Medicare rebate for it.
Having said that, there are quite a few exceptions to this rule. They include:
- people isolating or quarantining because of a COVID-19 public health order
- children under 12 months old
- unhoused people
- patients requiring urgent after-hours care (like after 11pm on a weekday, rather than after typical business hours)
- Aboriginal Medical Service or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service patients
- people living in areas declared affected by natural disasters
- people receiving some forms of pregnancy support, blood-borne virus and sexual or reproductive health services, or mental health support.
It’s not just GP telehealth appointments that have these kinds of restrictions. If you’re seeing an allied health professional or a specialist and want to claim your visit on Medicare, the same requirements apply as if you were seeing them in person. Namely, you’ll need a valid referral, and, in the case of allied health services, that referral usually needs to come with a treatment or care plan, too.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for a telehealth appointment?
A telehealth appointment should run similarly to a regular appointment, except you’ll be speaking with your practitioner either over the phone or on a video call.
Just like with a regular appointment, you should prepare any questions you have, gather any relevant information, and organise a support person if you’d like one.
If your practitioner is using a specific platform to call you, there might be technological requirements. Your practitioner should give you all the information you need, including:
- whether or not the appointment is via phone or online
- whether it’s a video call
- any links or numbers you need
- whether or not you need to create an account or sign in to anything.
Some specialist telehealth platforms don’t require patients to sign up or sign in, only click a link.
It’s never a bad idea to try out a new telehealth platform in advance of your appointment so you can troubleshoot if anything goes wrong.
You might want to choose where you’ll take the call ahead of time as well. Aim for a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
What can be prescribed over telehealth?
A telehealth appointment can be a quick and convenient way to organise new or repeat prescriptions, particularly if you don’t have any other medical questions or concerns to discuss. However, you might not always be able to get your medication this way.
In Australia, medications are classified into groups known as ‘schedules’. Each schedule has a different level of accessibility or regulated control. So, some medications, like paracetamol or ibuprofen, you can pick up at the supermarket, while medications that can cause dependence have much tighter rules. It’s the latter that can be tricky to get through telehealth, as doctors need to tick a few more boxes before they prescribe them.
For instance, best practice in the industry strongly encourages doctors to only prescribe these kinds of medicines to patients they have an existing clinical relationship with. This helps to ensure the continuity of your care, with just one doctor overseeing your condition and its treatment.
Additionally, doctors might only be able to prescribe controlled drugs (Schedule 8s), like stimulants used to manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or seriously strong pain killers, if they have the relevant authority or approval based on their state’s laws. Not every doctor who offers telehealth appointments may meet this requirement. It gets even more complicated if your doctor practices in one state while you live in another, as the doctor will need to follow both states’ rules.
Finally, the doctor might simply feel that a remote assessment doesn’t give them enough information to confidently and safely prescribe you a medication.
Ultimately, if you’re hoping to be prescribed a medication in a telehealth appointment, you may want to make sure your appointment is with your regular GP. If you can’t see them, be prepared for the doctor to use their discretion, and that this may mean you don’t receive the prescription you were hoping for.
How do telehealth services protect my privacy?
When you’re talking about your private health information, data privacy is no joke. Medical providers are legally required to protect your privacy in telehealth appointments in exactly the same way as they would for an in-person appointment. It’s their responsibility to make sure their technology does that effectively.
Under the Privacy Act 1988, telehealth providers are also legally required to protect your privacy, including protecting your personal information from misuse or loss, modification, or disclosure. Under some circumstances, they’re also obliged to destroy or de-identify personal information. Providers may use data encryption and data storage protocols to make sure your information stays secure.
Where can I find and compare health insurance?
Right here! At iSelect, we help you compare a range of health insurance policies the easy way. Start comparing policies online, or give our knowledgeable health comparison experts a call on 1800 784 772.
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