The cost
What does a Home Medicines Review cost?
Nothing. Not to you, not to your family, and not to your GP practice. There is no gap payment, no booking fee, no travel charge and nothing to claim back from Medicare afterwards. People ask what the catch is, so here is exactly where the money comes from.
Where the money comes from
Two Commonwealth payments, neither of them yours.
The Home Medicines Review program is funded by the Australian Government. The pharmacist's visit is paid for through the program, and your GP's part is covered under Medicare.
Both are paid in full, so there is no gap and nothing left over for anyone to pass on to you or to your practice.
That is the whole funding picture. Nobody sends you an invoice because there is no invoice to send.
What you do need
- A current Medicare or DVA card
- A referral from your GP. A pharmacist cannot arrange one for you and neither can you
- To be living at home in the community. Independent living in a retirement village counts. Residential aged care is a different program
Being straight about it
Why a free home visit is not too good to be true.
Medicine related problems put roughly 250,000 Australians in hospital every year, and at least half of that is preventable. An hour at a kitchen table is an enormously cheap way of preventing an admission. That is the entire rationale for the program, and it is why the Commonwealth funds it rather than asking patients to.
Nothing is sold to you
There is no product, no supplement, no service to upgrade to and nothing to sign up for. The pharmacist has nothing to sell.
Your medicines are not changed
A reviewing pharmacist cannot alter your prescriptions. They write to your GP with what they found, and your GP decides.
You can say no at any point
Before, during or after. It changes nothing about your care and costs you nothing.
Questions about cost
How much does a Home Medicines Review cost?
Nothing. There is no charge to the patient at any point. No gap payment, no booking fee, no travel charge and nothing to claim back afterwards. You need a current Medicare or DVA card.
Is it bulk billed?
Effectively, yes. Your GP claims MBS item 900 and the benefit is 100% of the schedule fee, so there is no gap for the practice to charge you. The pharmacist is funded separately by the Pharmacy Programs Administrator and does not bill you at all.
Do I have to pay and claim it back?
No. There is nothing to pay upfront and nothing to claim back. You will not be asked for a card.
Does the follow-up visit cost anything?
No. Up to 2 follow-up visits are available after an initial review and they are funded the same way. They cost you nothing either.
Is there a cost to my GP or the practice?
No. The practice is paid for the GP's part in the review under MBS item 900. It is not a cost to them.
What if I do not have a Medicare card?
A current Medicare or DVA card is required for the program to fund the review. If you do not have one, ring us on 1800 701 520 and we will tell you honestly whether there is another way to help.
Ask your GP, or ask us first
Happy to explain how it works before you raise it at your appointment. Free, no obligation, nothing to pay at any stage.