HIV & Telehealth
Telehealth is a way to access essential Medicare funded health services remotely using telephone and video technology. All Medicare eligible Australians can receive these services if they have an established clinical relationship with a GP, Other Medical Practitioners (OMP), or a medical practice. All general practitioners (GPs), medical specialists, and mental health or allied health professionals are able to provide phone and/or video consultations (telehealth) to any one with or without COVID-19.
All people living with HIV eligible for Medicare are eligible for bulkbilled telehealth services.
From Monday 6 April 2020 it became a legislative requirement that the new telehealth services must be bulk billed for Commonwealth concession card holders, children under 16 years old and patients who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
You can use telehealth to access your regular health provider (or another provider within the same practice) as long as you have had at least one face-to-face consultation with their GP (or another GP in the same practice) in the 12 months before the telehealth service.
During these consultations you can still have your doctor prescribe your medication including HIV antiretroviral medication (s100 prescription repeats) as well as order your pathology and diagnostic imaging tests if needed. If you need a physical examination, you will need to attend your appointment in person.
For more details who can use telehealth, what appointments you can access, what other services are available, how to use telehealth, and how to make a telehealth appointment, please visit the Australian Government Telehealth information page.
Positive Life will continue to offer professional and peer support by telephone, email or online as required. You are not alone.
If you are a person living with HIV feeling anxious, isolated or alone or caring for someone living with HIV and not sure where to seek help, call and speak to one of our Peer Support Officers at Positive Life NSW on (02) 8357 8386 or 1800 245 677 (free call) or email contact@positivelife.org.au
page updated: 10 July 2023
