This funding program is for children under the age of six who have not accessed Better Start funding.

People living with a chronic or terminal medical condition are eligible for Medicare funded services from a range of Allied Health professionals. You must first visit your GP, who can refer you to these services using a specific referral form. There is a maximum of five of any of these services in a calendar year.

Allied Health Practitioners you could see under this funding:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers
• Audiologists,
• Chiropractors,
• Diabetes Educators,
• Dietitians,
• Exercise Physiologists,
• Mental Health Workers,
• Occupational Therapists,
• Optometrists,
• Physiotherapists,
• Podiatrists,
• Psychologists,
• Speech Pathologists.

This is Medicare funding, meaning that the same process happens for these services as when you visit your doctor. You may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your medicare rebate with no cost to you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services.

Diabetes is classified as a chronic disease. Therefore, the medicare funding available above is also available to people with diabetes.

Eligible disabilities are;

• Cerebral palsy
• Deafblindness
• Down syndrome, including mosaic Down syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome with full mutation
• Hearing impairment
• Sight impairment
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Williams syndrome
• Angelman syndrome
• Kabuki syndrome
• Smith-Magenis syndrome
• CHARGE syndrome
• Cornelia de Lange syndrome
• Rett’s Disorder
• Cri du Chat syndrome; or
• Microcephaly

Children registered with Better Start can access up to $12,000 (maximum $6,000 per year) to pay for early intervention services. See below for details.

• up to four diagnostic / assessment services from psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, audiologists, optometrists, orthoptists or physiotherapists to assist the referring practitioner with diagnosis or to contribute to a child’s treatment and management plan (for a child under 13 years of age).
• up to twenty treatment services from psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, audiologists, optometrists, orthoptists or physiotherapists (for a child under 15 years of age, providing a treatment and management plan is in place before their 13th birthday).

This is Medicare funding, meaning that the same process happens for these services as when you visit your doctor. You may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your medicare rebate with no cost to you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services.

Up to 35% of a child’s Early intervention Funding may be used to purchase resources, to a maximum of $2,100 per financial year, or $4,200 in total.

The CDBS provides basic dental services to children between 2-7 years, whose family receives Family Tax Benefit A or a relevant Australian Government payment.

Families can check whether their child is eligible for the CDBS by contacting the Department of Human Services. General information about the program can also be found on the Department of Human Services website.

Dental services include:

• examinations
• X-rays
• cleaning
• fissure sealing
• fillings
• root canals
• extractions, and partial dentures

The CDBS does not cover orthodontic, cosmetic dental work, or dental services provided in hospital.

Dental services are capped at $1,000 over 2 consecutive calendar years.

The Childhood Dental Benefits Scheme works in a similar way to Medicare, meaning that the same process happens for these services as when you visit your doctor. You may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your rebate with no cost to you. Public dentists will always bulk bill you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services. Dentists are aligned to particular private health insurers, so check with your dentist or insurer before making an appointment.

People with ear conditions my be eligible for audiology services described in the Chronic Disease section.

In addition, Indigenous Australians my be referred to an audiologist by their doctor for a maximum of 10 additional services per calendar year.

Patients with potential ear conditions or related disorders are also eligible for a range of diagnostic services.

This is Medicare funding, meaning that the same process happens for these services as when you visit your doctor. You may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your medicare rebate with no cost to you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services.

Most services provided by an optometrist are covered by Medicare. As with all Medicare-funded services, you may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your medicare rebate with no cost to you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services.

Most services provided by an mental health workers, psychologists, GPs, occupational therapists and other providers are covered by Medicare. As with all Medicare-funded services, you may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your medicare rebate with no cost to you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services.

Most services provided by GPs are covered by Medicare. As with all Medicare-funded services, you may be bulk-billed, which means that the practitioner will receive your medicare rebate with no cost to you. You may also be billed privately, which means that an up-front cost will be incurred and you will then receive a rebate back from Medicare. Private health insurance may also cover these services.

In addition to the physical conditions associated with pregnancy, pregnant and recently pregnant people are also eligible for counselling.