Medicare Rebate
Medicare
If you are referred by a GP under a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan, you or your child may be eligible for a Medicare rebate ($61.80 per session) for up to 5 allied health services per calendar year.
A CDM referral form is needed for your GP to complete. Your GP will decide if you are eligible for these services and will refer you accordingly.
Our most common co-providers are audiology, ear nose & throat (ENT) and occupational therapy (OT). If you are already seeing one of these health professionals, you are likely to be eligible for a GP CDM plan.
Speech Pathology Medicare Rebate (M10)
From 1 March 2026, Medicare has expanded access to speech pathology services for children and young people with certain communication conditions.
Under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) M10 allied health items, children and young adults with cleft lip and/or palate are now recognised as having an eligible disability. This means families may be able to access additional Medicare rebates for speech pathology assessment and treatment with a referral from their GP or paediatrician.
For families navigating speech and language concerns, and for GPs supporting these children, this change provides an important pathway to earlier and more consistent care.
Children and young adults may be eligible if they:
- Are under 25 years of age
- Have a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of one of the following:
- Cleft lip and/or palate
- Stuttering
- Speech sound disorders (including articulation disorder, phonological disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, or dysarthria)
- Cleft lip and/or palate
- Have a referral from a GP, paediatrician, or other medical specialist
This expansion recognises that many children with cleft conditions require specialised speech pathology support throughout development.
Under the M10 pathway, children can access Medicare-rebated speech pathology assessment and treatment sessions.
- Up to 8 assessment sessions (lifetime), each session must be at least 50 minutes
- Up to 20 treatment sessions (lifetime), each session must be at least 30 minutes
- Medicare rebate: $87.25 per session
To access these services:
- A referral from a GP, paediatrician, or medical specialist is required.
- Each referral allows:
- Up to 4 assessment sessions, or
- Up to 10 treatment sessions
If further sessions are needed, the referring doctor will need to review the patient and issue a new referral.
This allows ongoing communication between the medical and allied health teams.
At Blackburn Speech & Paediatric Therapy, we work closely with:
- GPs
- Paediatricians
- Surgeons
- Dentists
- Allied health professionals
to support children with complex speech and communication needs.
Our team provides:
- Comprehensive speech and language assessments
- Evidence-based speech therapy
- Feeding and early communication support
- Family-centred therapy planning
If you are a GP looking to refer, or a parent wondering whether your child may be eligible, our team is happy to help guide you through the process.
Contact us to learn more about speech pathology support and Medicare referral pathways.