More than one million patients affected by flooding have regained automatic eligibility for Medicare-funded telehealth, with the ‘existing relationship’ rule temporarily scrapped in disaster areas.

The exemption applies to any local government area declared a natural disaster zone as a result of the floods, which have already claimed the lives of more than 20 people after sweeping the eastern states.

It covers any phone or video consult by a GP, backdated to 22 February until the disaster declaration expires, according to the Department of Health.

The ‘existing relationship’ rule means most patients can’t claim rebates for telehealth consults unless they have visited the GP practice in the previous 12 months.