Medicare rebates for retirement village residents

The Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro, has promised to extend the availability of Medicare rebates to residents of retirement villages.

He told a Retirement Village Conference at the Gold Coast that the Health Minister had agreed to changes in eligibility rules covering Medicare benefits and GST exemption for residents of retirement villages who also received aged or medical care.

“Prior to acceptance into accommodation which includes a care component, retirement villages generally require applicants attend their general practitioner (GP) to undergo an assessment of their health and ongoing care needs,” he said.

This assessment is used to prepare a coordinated care plan for the resident by the retirement village. During this assessment, GPs provide certification of GST-free eligibility as part of the clinical service provided by the GP.

As a result, where the GP certifies GST-free eligibility as part of the broader care-needs assessment, Medicare benefits would be payable. However, this would not be the case if the sole purpose of the GP visit was the signing of certification of GST eligibility – the visit would not attract a Medicare benefit.

The Minister for Health has supported in principle the continued certification by GPs of GST-free eligibility for residents of serviced apartments in retirement villages provided that certification is included as part of an assessment of the patient’s ongoing care needs.

The Government is now considering how to implement this decision and will consult with the industry on the implications.