Exercise used as treatment, referred by your GP
If you are managing a chronic condition, your GP can refer you for Medicare-rebated exercise physiology in our on-site gyms.
Medicare, NDIS, DVA, WorkCover and private health funds accepted.
Can I see an exercise physiologist on Medicare?
Yes, with a referral. If your GP has prepared a chronic condition management plan, you may be entitled to Medicare-rebated exercise physiology. Medicare pays a rebate and you pay the gap. Exercise physiology is available at Penrith, Blaxland and Ryde, and as a home visit across the Penrith area.
What does an exercise physiologist actually do?
An accredited exercise physiologist is a university-qualified allied health professional who uses exercise as treatment. That is a different thing to a personal trainer, and the distinction matters when a GP is referring you.
The program is built around your diagnosis, your history and your medications, not around general fitness. For type 2 diabetes that might mean exercise timed and structured to help manage blood glucose. For a heart condition it means working at intensities that are appropriate and monitored. For chronic pain it means building capacity without triggering a flare.
Sessions are limited each calendar year and shared across all allied health under your plan. For exercise physiology that usually means an assessment and a small number of supervised sessions, after which you continue with a program you can do yourself.
Am I eligible?
You do not need to work this out yourself. Your GP decides whether a plan is right for you, and we can check how many sessions you have left before you book. Call us on 1300 123 674.
You can usually access Medicare-rebated exercise physiology if:
How Medicare exercise physiology works
Talk to your GP.
If you have a condition that has lasted six months or more, ask whether a chronic condition management plan is right for you.Your GP prepares the plan and the referral.
The referral names the service and how many sessions you have.You book with us.
Bring the referral and your Medicare card to your first appointment.We claim the rebate on the day.
You pay only the gap, and we report back to your GP.Bring clothes you can move in and enclosed shoes. Sessions run in our gym.
What our exercise physiologists help with
Whether Medicare will cover your sessions depends on the referral your GP has written, not on the condition itself. Your GP decides that.
Connected care
Managing a chronic condition usually involves more than one thing at once, which is why your plan may cover more than one service.
Your exercise physiologist can work alongside a dietitian or a podiatrist.
All three sit under the same referral pathway, so a diabetes plan can cover movement, nutrition and foot health together rather than separately.
Two gyms at Penrith.
Assessment and supervised sessions happen on site, and Blaxland and Ryde each have a gym as well.
Where you can be seen
Medicare exercise physiology is available at our Penrith, Blaxland and Ryde centres, in our on-site gyms. Home visits are available across the Penrith area.
For GPs and practice managers
OnePointHealth accepts chronic condition management referrals across podiatry, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, dietetics and psychology, at seven centres across Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the North Shore.
Call 1300 123 674 or send a referral through our enquiry form.
What we provide:
Written reports back after initial assessment and at the end of the referral period.
Rebates claimed on site, so your patient pays only the gap.
Appointments across seven centres, with home visits and telehealth where appropriate.
Direct contact with the treating practitioner rather than a call centre.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different to a personal trainer?
An accredited exercise physiologist is a university-qualified allied health professional. The program is built around your diagnosis, history and medications, and it is claimable through Medicare with a referral. Personal training is neither.
What if I have not exercised in years?
That is the usual starting point, not the exception. Programs begin from where you are.
Do I have to go to a gym?
Sessions run in our on-site gyms, which are part of the health centre rather than a public gym. Home visits are available across the Penrith area if getting in is difficult.
How many sessions will I get?
That depends on how your GP divides your allowance, since it is shared across all allied health. For exercise physiology it is often an assessment and a few supervised sessions, then a program you continue yourself.
What should I wear?
Clothes you can move in and enclosed shoes. Everything else is on site.
Can I keep going after my plan sessions run out?
Yes, privately or through your health fund. We will tell you where you are up to before your last funded session.
Bring your referral and we will do the rest
Send us an enquiry or call with your referral details, and we will book you in and claim the rebate for you.