Medicare Care Plans (EPC)

Exercise Physiology sessions claimable under Medicare with a referral from your General Practitioner (GP)

ENHANCED PRIMARY CARE PROGRAM (EPC)

What is the Enhanced Primary Care Program?

The Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Program is a Medicare-subsidised service that entitles you to five individual 1-hour sessions under the supervision of our Exercise Physiologist. Your 5 one-on-one exercise sessions will be specifically tailored to provide benefit for your medical condition. Two detailed reports of your progress will be provided to your GP after your first and after your last session.

These 5 sessions allow your exercise routine to be closely supervised to maximise your benefits through exercise for your condition.

Who is eligible?

You may are eligible for the five individual sessions under the EPC through our Exercise Physiology Service if you have a medical condition and are being managed for this by your GP. A chronic medical condition is one that has been (or is likely to be) present for 6 months or longer. It includes, but is not limited to conditions such as:

How can I start?

To begin the Inspire Fitness EPC Program, you need to have your GP complete the EPC Program Referral form for Allied Health Services under Medicare. Once this form is complete you can commence the program with an Inspire Exercise Physiologist.

How much is the Medicare Rebate?

The Medicare rebate is $56.00 per 1-hour session with an Inspire Fitness Exercise Physiologist. As this is an extended consultation a small gap will be charged.

What is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist?

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are tertiary-qualified allied health professionals who have met the stringent accreditation criteria set by the Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). AEPs specialise in the delivery of exercise and lifestyle modification programs for people with chronic conditions and healthy

Case study:

Kay was referred to our Exercise Physiology Service from her GP for 3 sessions under the Enhanced Primary Care program (EPC). Kay was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and was referred for a specialised exercise program to manage her condition. During the initial screening process Kay highlighted a significant musculoskeletal history having previously had a knee arthroscope, lower back pain (most debilitating out of all her injuries), and shoulder pain. All of these injuries were limiting her ability to safely perform the exercise program prescribed to her at the gym she attends. Further investigation found that Kay had an elevated blood pressure, 143/90, a high blood glucose reading of 7.0, and she needed to decrease her waist circumference. Kay’s cardiovascular fitness was good (V02- 30.68) and she was performing cardiovascular training regularly however, due to her musculoskeletal injuries Kay was no longer completing resistance training.
Goals were set with Kay which included maintaining blood glucose levels between a normal range, decreasing weight, increasing muscle mass, and improving general wellbeing.
In Kay’s exercise sessions we first addressed her musculoskeletal injuries to enable her to begin resistance training once again. Kay’s program involved some corrective exercises and release work, whole body resistance exercises aimed at targeting large muscle groups to improve glucose control, and cardiovascular training to maintain her good level of fitness.
Kay worked on this program at her gym and gained some very significant benefits. Kay also had a session with me once per week after the EPC sessions finished which involved us working on her technique as well as exploring new exercises to further improve her general wellbeing.
After 3 months Kay significantly reduced her knee pain as well as her back pain, which was her most significant pain. Kay was able to safely and effectively complete her resistance training as well as maintain her cardio training. Kay improved her random blood glucose reading to 6.0, decreased her blood pressure, 125/ 75, decreased her weight, lost 4cm from her waist, and improved her V02 from 30.68 (good) to 35. 29 (very good).
Kay is still completing her new program at her gym as well as coming in to see me for 1 session per week. Kay is now, most importantly, able to perform a greater range of exercises which has enabled her to better manage not only her diabetes but also her musculoskeletal health.