‘Luxury specialty’: Why exercise physicians want rebate boost

Rebates to see a college fellow are even lower than those for a GP
Geir O'Rourke
Sports injury

Exercise physicians say they are becoming a “luxury specialty”, accessible only to the rich because their patients’ Medicare rebates are even lower than those in general practice.

The Australasian College of Sports and Exercise Medicine (ACSEP) says a major boost in Medicare funding is urgently needed, with figures suggesting patients are facing out-of-pocket costs of $128 — the fifth highest of any specialty (see table below).