- 17 Main Road, Lower Plenty, 3093
- Ph: (03) 9017 4784 M: 0434 789 885 F: (03) 9012 4480
- blhmessages@gmail.com
Mon–Thu 8am–7pm · Fri 8am–6pm · Sat 8am–2pm · Sun & Public Holidays Closed
Mon–Thu 8am–7pm · Fri 8am–6pm · Sat 8am–2pm · Sun & Public Holidays Closed
HICAPS, private health extras, Medicare EPC referrals, DVA, TAC, WorkSafe, NDIS and bulk-billed pathology, all at one clinic. Tap an option below to see who qualifies, what to bring and how to book.
Bodyline Health is a multidisciplinary allied health clinic in Lower Plenty, and we accept a wide range of payments and funding. Most people see us as private patients and claim through their health fund with HICAPS. Many others use government or insurance funding for their care, including Medicare, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the TAC, WorkSafe Victoria and the NDIS. Each scheme has its own rules about referrals, paperwork and who pays. This page explains each of our payments and funding options in plain language, so you know exactly what to bring and how to book.
If you are not sure which option applies to you, call reception on (03) 9017 4784. We will check your eligibility and book you with the right practitioner. Patients come to us from Lower Plenty, Montmorency, Eltham, Greensborough, Rosanna, Viewbank, Yallambie, Heidelberg, Macleod, Templestowe and across the Diamond Valley.
Payments and funding · HICAPS on the spot
We have HICAPS at reception, so if you have private health extras cover you can swipe your health fund card after your appointment and your rebate is processed on the spot. You only pay the gap. There's no paperwork and no waiting for your fund to reimburse you. HICAPS works with all major Australian health funds for services on your policy.
Payments and funding · Private health extras
Most extras policies include some cover for services such as chiropractic, physiotherapy, podiatry, remedial massage, myotherapy, acupuncture, naturopathy, occupational therapy and speech pathology. What you get back depends on your fund, your level of cover and your annual limits. Some policies also have waiting periods for new members.
Payments and funding · Medicare EPC referrals and plans
"EPC" stands for Enhanced Primary Care, the name many patients and GPs still use for Medicare's chronic disease allied health program. If you live with a chronic or complex condition, your GP can prepare a care plan and refer you to allied health practitioners. Medicare then pays a rebate towards a set number of those visits each calendar year. At Bodyline Health, we see patients with Medicare EPC referrals in Lower Plenty every week, across several disciplines under the one roof.
From 1 July 2025, the older GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement system was replaced by a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP). The core benefit for patients is the same: with a current plan and a written referral from your GP, you can claim Medicare rebates for up to five eligible allied health services per calendar year. You may see the terms EPC, CDM (Chronic Disease Management) and care plan used interchangeably. They all refer to this pathway.
Eligibility is decided by your GP, not by the allied health clinic. In general, the program is for people with a chronic medical condition that has been present, or is likely to be present, for six months or longer. Common examples we see in the clinic include:
If you are unsure whether your condition qualifies, book a standard GP appointment and ask directly. Your GP can explain the options and prepare your plan and referral in the one visit.
Medicare's chronic condition program covers a defined list of allied health professions. At our Lower Plenty clinic, the eligible services include:
Your GP's referral names the type of service, so let them know which practitioner you would like to see. Five visits per year can be split across more than one discipline if your GP refers you that way, for example three podiatry visits and two physiotherapy visits.
Medicare pays a fixed rebate for each eligible visit. Most private practices, including ours, charge a fee above the rebate, so there is usually a gap payment. Our reception team can tell you the fee for your practitioner before you book, and we process the Medicare claim for you at the end of your appointment so the rebate goes straight back to your nominated bank account. Medicare EPC visits cannot be claimed against private health extras for the same appointment.
Your practitioner will send a short report back to your GP after your first visit and at the end of your course of care, so your whole care team stays informed.
Official information: Services Australia – GP chronic condition management plans
Payments and funding · Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
The Department of Veterans' Affairs funds a wide range of allied health services for eligible veterans, war widows and widowers, and some dependants. If you hold a DVA Veteran Card, you can use it for DVA allied health in Lower Plenty at Bodyline Health. DVA pays approved providers directly for clinically necessary treatment, so there is no need to pay upfront and claim it back yourself.
A Gold Card covers all clinically necessary treatment, regardless of whether the condition is related to your service. A White Card covers treatment of specific conditions DVA has accepted as service-related, plus some conditions covered without the need for a claim, such as mental health conditions and cancer. If you are unsure what your card covers, check with DVA before your appointment.
Most DVA allied health care is provided through a treatment cycle. Your GP (or treating specialist) writes a referral, and that referral covers up to 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first. At the end of each cycle, your practitioner sends a report to your GP, who then decides whether to refer you for another cycle. You can have more than one treatment cycle running at the same time if you need care from different disciplines, for example physiotherapy for a knee and podiatry for foot care.
Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) Gold Card holders are exempt from treatment cycle limits for physiotherapy and exercise physiology. DVA's rules can change, so we always confirm your current eligibility when you book.
Not every practitioner at our clinic is a registered DVA provider, so please tell reception you are a DVA client when you call. We will book you with the right person for your referral.
Official information: DVA – allied health treatment cycle
Payments and funding · TAC claims
The TAC lists physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy among the treatments you can access in the first 90 days after your accident without asking for approval first, as long as the treatment is for your accident injuries. You can choose your own provider, and you don't need a GP referral to see a physiotherapist or chiropractor. After 90 days, further treatment needs TAC approval. Your practitioner can help you with that request.
Bring your TAC claim number to your first appointment and we can invoice the TAC directly. The TAC pays providers at its set TAC rate. If a practitioner's fee is higher than the TAC rate, a gap payment may apply, and the TAC is generally unable to reimburse gaps. Reception can tell you in advance whether a gap applies for your appointment.
Our chiropractor, Dr Phillip Mifsud, is also an exercise physiologist, and our physiotherapy team focuses on getting you back to work, driving and daily activities. When it is clinically indicated, we can take onsite digital X-rays, which saves you a separate trip.
Official information: TAC – treatments and services
Payments and funding · WorkSafe / WorkCover
No. WorkSafe Victoria lists physiotherapy and chiropractic among the services injured workers can access without a referral. You will usually still see a GP for your certificate of capacity, and we will keep your GP informed about your progress and work capacity.
Once your claim is accepted, WorkSafe pays the reasonable cost of treatment for your work-related injury. WorkSafe prefers healthcare providers to invoice your agent directly, so bring your claim number and your agent's details to your first appointment. WorkSafe pays set rates for each service, and a gap may apply if the practitioner's fee is higher, so check with reception first. If you pay for treatment yourself while waiting for your claim, keep your receipts. WorkSafe asks for receipts within six months so your agent can reimburse you.
Our physiotherapy and chiropractic practitioners focus on graded, practical rehabilitation. Dr Phillip Mifsud is both a chiropractor and exercise physiologist, which helps when building strength and work tolerance. Where clinically indicated, onsite digital X-ray is available. Myotherapy is also available at the clinic if it forms part of your plan.
Getting back to work, even on modified duties, is an important part of recovery. We set clear goals with you, work with your GP on your certificate of capacity, and provide progress reports to your agent when required. Because several disciplines work from the same Lower Plenty clinic, your care stays coordinated in one place.
We see injured workers from Lower Plenty, Montmorency, Eltham, Greensborough, Rosanna, Heidelberg, Viewbank, Templestowe and across the Diamond Valley. For official information, see WorkSafe Victoria's guide to treatment expenses.
Official information: WorkSafe Victoria – treatment expenses
Payments and funding · NDIS (occupational therapy)
How your NDIS funding is managed determines which providers you can use:
Please tell reception how your plan is managed when you call, so we can confirm we are the right fit and set up invoicing correctly.
Your first appointment is an assessment. The OT learns about your or your child's strengths, challenges, routines and goals, and links therapy goals to the goals in your NDIS plan. Sessions after that are hands-on and practical, often play-based for children, with clear strategies to practise at home, at school or at work. We provide written reports when you need them for plan reviews, so the NDIS can see progress and ongoing needs.
Official information: NDIS – managing your plan
Payments and funding · Bulk-billed pathology on site
An Austin Pathology collection centre operates inside our clinic at 17 Main Road, Lower Plenty. Tests that are rebatable under Medicare are bulk-billed, so there is no out-of-pocket cost for those tests. Blood tests and other collections can be done in the same trip as your allied health appointment.
Monday to Friday 8am–4:30pm and Saturday 8am–12pm. Phone Austin Pathology at our clinic on (03) 9432 9852.
Payments and funding · No referral needed
A referral is only needed when a third party is paying for, or subsidising, your care:
TAC and WorkSafe claims don't need a GP referral for physiotherapy or chiropractic. See our TAC and WorkSafe pages for details.
Your practitioner starts with a thorough history and a physical assessment. If they believe you need a medical review, imaging or another type of care, they will tell you and help arrange it. When clinically indicated, onsite digital X-ray is available. You will leave with a clear explanation of what is going on and a plan for your next steps.
We accept private payment with HICAPS health fund claiming, Medicare EPC referrals (GP Chronic Condition Management Plans), DVA, TAC and WorkSafe claims, and NDIS funding for occupational therapy. Medicare-rebatable pathology tests are bulk-billed at our on-site Austin Pathology collection centre.
Medicare provides rebates for up to five eligible allied health visits per calendar year under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. Your GP decides how those visits are split between practitioners.
Usually, yes. Medicare pays a set rebate and most practices charge above that amount. Call reception on (03) 9017 4784 for the current fee for your practitioner.
Yes. DVA-funded allied health care requires a referral from your GP or a treating specialist. The referral starts a treatment cycle of up to 12 sessions or one year.
DVA pays approved providers directly for clinically necessary treatment covered by your card, so in most cases there is no out-of-pocket cost. Reception can confirm this when you book.
No. You don't need a GP referral to see a physiotherapist or chiropractor under the TAC in the first 90 days after your accident, as long as the treatment is for your accident injuries.
The TAC pays providers at a set TAC rate. If the practitioner's fee is higher, a gap may apply. Ask reception on (03) 9017 4784 before your appointment.
No. WorkSafe Victoria lists physiotherapy and chiropractic as services you can access without a referral.
You can still book. If you pay upfront, keep your receipts and submit them to your agent within six months for reimbursement once your claim is accepted.
Yes. If your plan includes therapy supports, usually under Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living, you can use it for occupational therapy at Bodyline Health, 17 Main Road, Lower Plenty.
Yes. Self-managed and plan-managed participants can choose any provider. NDIA-managed participants must use an NDIS-registered provider. Tell reception how your plan is managed when you call.
Yes. Walk-ins are welcome during opening hours. Booking ahead guarantees your preferred time with your chosen practitioner.
Yes. Private health extras don't require a referral. You can claim on the spot with HICAPS at reception.
Call reception and we will check your eligibility and match you with the right practitioner.
