What is MyMedicare?
MyMedicare is a voluntary patient registration program from the Australian Government. It lets you formally register with the general practice you visit most and nominate a preferred GP within that practice. The aim is to strengthen continuity of care, which simply means seeing the same practice and team over time so they know your history.
Continuity matters. When your GP and practice team know your health background, medicines and family situation, it is easier to plan preventive care, follow up results and manage long-term conditions.
What are the benefits of registering?
- Longer telehealth consultations. Registered patients can access longer Medicare-funded phone consultations with GPs at their registered practice. These can suit people managing mental health concerns, people with disability or reduced mobility, older Australians and people who live further from the clinic.
- Better continuity of care. Your practice and preferred GP are recorded, and this can be visible in your My Health Record so other treating clinicians, such as hospital teams, know who your regular GP is.
- Better planning for ongoing care. Since July 2025, patients registered in MyMedicare access their GP chronic condition management plan through their registered practice, which helps keep long-term care in one place.
Who can register?
Anyone with a Medicare card or a DVA Veteran Card can register. MyMedicare is designed for people who have a regular practice. Registration works best if you have visited the same practice at least twice in the past two years, although some exemptions apply, for example for babies, people with disability and people in aged care.
How to register for MyMedicare
- At the practice. Ask our reception team at Delacombe Medical Centre. They can help you complete the registration and choose a preferred GP.
- Online. Log in to your Medicare online account through myGov, or use the Express Plus Medicare app, and follow the MyMedicare prompts. The practice then accepts your registration.
You can only be registered with one practice at a time. If you register with a new practice, your previous registration ends automatically. You can change your preferred GP at any time.
Common questions and myths
Will I only be able to see one doctor? No. You choose a preferred GP, but you can still book with any GP at your registered practice.
Is it compulsory? No. If you choose not to register, you can still access the same care. Registration doesn’t affect your Medicare rights or benefits.
Is it a form of insurance? No. MyMedicare doesn’t provide private health insurance benefits.
Why continuity of care matters
Research has consistently linked seeing the same GP or practice over time with better health outcomes, including fewer avoidable hospital visits. Your regular team gets to know your history, notices changes earlier and can coordinate care with specialists, allied health providers and hospitals. MyMedicare formalises that relationship so the health system can support it.
MyMedicare for families
For busy families, MyMedicare can make it easier to keep everyone’s care in one place. Children can be registered with your regular practice, and you can nominate a preferred GP for each family member. Longer telehealth consultations can be helpful for follow-ups, scripts and discussing results when getting to the clinic is tricky.
MyMedicare for older adults and people with long-term conditions
People managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma or arthritis may benefit most from registration. Since July 2025, registered patients access their GP chronic condition management plan through their registered practice, which helps keep plans, reviews and allied health referrals coordinated. Older people living in residential aged care can also receive more regular GP visits and better care planning through MyMedicare.
What information is shared?
When you register, you provide basic details and may answer a few optional questions about yourself. Your registered practice and preferred GP can be displayed in your My Health Record, unless you choose not to display this. Your information is protected under Australian privacy law.
Your next steps
- Think about which practice you visit most and which GP you’d like as your preferred GP.
- Ask reception at your next visit, or register through your Medicare online account.
- Remember you can change your preferred GP or leave at any time.
How to register for MyMedicare in Delacombe
To complete your MyMedicare registration, ask our reception team at your next visit, or register through your Medicare online account and choose Delacombe Medical Centre as your practice. Patient info.
Frequently asked questions
No. Registration is free and voluntary.
Yes. You can withdraw at any time through your Medicare online account or by contacting Medicare, with no effect on your Medicare benefits.
Yes. Children on your Medicare card can be registered, and babies may be exempt from the usual visit history requirement.
Sources and further reading
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Information is current as at November 2026 and may change. Always speak with your GP about your own health. In an emergency, call 000.
Talk to a GP about your health
Bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card. Open seven days at Delacombe Town Centre.
