What is telehealth? A plain-English guide for Australians

Telehealth is health care delivered remotely — by video or phone — instead of in a clinic room. You see the same kind of clinician you always would, whether that’s a GP, a psychologist or a specialist. The only thing that changes is that you connect from wherever you are.

It’s a simple idea with a lot behind it. Here’s what telehealth actually covers in Australia, what it’s good for, and how it fits with Medicare.

The plain definition

Telehealth means “getting health services via phone, video or online messaging instead of visiting a healthcare professional in person” (healthdirect). In practice, that mostly comes down to two formats:

• Video consultations — you and your clinician can see and hear each other. Video is the closest thing to being in the room: your doctor can watch how you move, look at a rash or a wound you hold up to the camera, and read your expression.
• Phone consultations — audio only. These suit quick check-ins, results and simple follow-ups where nothing needs to be seen.

Both are “telehealth”. Which one you use depends on the reason for the appointment and what your clinician needs to assess.

Telehealth isn’t a lesser version of a real appointment. It’s a genuine medical consultation — the clinical care is the same, only the way you connect is different.

From pandemic stopgap to permanent fixture

Telehealth existed in Australia before 2020, but it was limited — mostly used to reach patients in rural and remote areas. That changed almost overnight during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Medicare rebates were rapidly extended so people could get care without sitting in a waiting room.

It worked, and it stayed. The Australian Government now describes telehealth as a permanent part of the health system, used across general practice, mental health, specialist care and more (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing). What began as an emergency measure is now simply one of the ways Australians see a doctor.

What telehealth is used for

Telehealth handles a surprisingly large share of everyday care. Common uses include:

• General practice consultations and follow-ups — new concerns, reviews and ongoing management.
• Mental health support — psychology sessions, counselling and GP mental health care, where being at home can make it easier to talk.
• Prescriptions and medication reviews — including repeat scripts sent electronically to your pharmacy.
• Reviewing results — going over blood tests, scans or specialist letters.
• Specialist appointments — including post-procedure check-ins and second opinions, without the travel.
• Chronic disease management — stable, ongoing conditions that mostly need conversation, monitoring and planning.

It isn’t right for everything. Anything that needs a hands-on physical examination, a procedure, or urgent in-person assessment still belongs in a clinic or hospital, and a good clinician will tell you when that’s the case. If something is an emergency, call 000.

If you want a closer look at how an individual visit runs, see our guide to what a telehealth appointment is.

Who provides telehealth

The short answer: the same health professionals you’d see in person. That includes:

• GPs and general practice teams
• Psychologists, counsellors and mental health clinicians
• Medical specialists — from paediatricians to psychiatrists
• Allied health professionals — speech pathologists, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others

Telehealth is delivered through everyday practices and clinics, not a separate “telehealth industry”. Your regular GP clinic can offer it alongside face-to-face appointments. There are also dedicated telehealth services, but the care is provided by registered Australian clinicians either way.

Importantly, the same professional standards apply. A clinician delivering telehealth is bound by the same registration, ethical and privacy obligations as they are in the clinic — telehealth is a different setting, not a different rulebook. That’s worth remembering if you ever feel a video consult is somehow “less official” than a face-to-face one. It isn’t.

Does telehealth cost anything?

Telehealth is billed through Medicare much like an in-person visit. If your clinic bulk bills, the clinic bills Medicare directly and there’s nothing for you to pay. If it doesn’t, you pay a fee and Medicare pays you back a rebate, leaving a “gap” or out-of-pocket cost (healthdirect).

Whether a telehealth consult is bulk billed comes down to your clinic’s policy and your eligibility — there are some Medicare rules, most notably an existing-relationship requirement for GP telehealth. We cover the money side in detail in Is telehealth bulk billed?

How you actually connect

For a phone consult, the clinician simply calls you at the agreed time. For a video consult, you’ll usually be sent a link — often by SMS — that opens the call in your phone or computer’s web browser. Good telehealth tools don’t make you download an app or create an account; you tap the link, allow your camera and microphone, and you’re in.

That “will it even work?” moment is the part patients worry about most, and it’s the part software can fix. MedCall, for example, is built so the clinician texts a secure link and the patient joins in one tap — no app, no account, and calls are never recorded. If you’ve been sent a link and want to be sure your device is ready, you can test any phone or computer in about ten seconds beforehand. For a full walkthrough of the mechanics, see how telehealth works.

Is it private?

A telehealth consult is a medical appointment, and it carries the same privacy obligations as any other. Purpose-built telehealth software is designed around that — encrypted video, no recording by default, and health data stored appropriately. General-purpose video apps aren’t built for clinical use, which is why most clinics use dedicated telehealth platforms rather than a consumer chat tool.

The bottom line

Telehealth is health care by video or phone instead of in person — a real consultation with a real clinician, now a permanent part of Australian health care. It suits a huge range of everyday needs, from GP visits and mental health support to scripts, results and specialist follow-ups, and it’s funded through Medicare in much the same way as an in-person visit. It won’t replace hands-on care when that’s what you need, but for a lot of appointments it’s just as effective and far more convenient. For the government’s overview, start with the Department of Health telehealth page.