General practitioners and local medical officers
Local Medical Officer Services
What is a Local Medical Officer?
A Local Medical Officer (LMO), commonly known as a family doctor or General Practitioner (GP), provides medical care to eligible members of the veteran community under an agreement with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs(DVA).
Who is eligible?
If you have a Repatriation Health Card – For all conditions (Gold Card), DVA will pay for medical services available through DVA arrangements that meet your clinical needs. If you have a Repatriation Health Card – For specific conditions (White Card),DVA will pay for medical services that are required because of an accepted disability, or malignant cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if these conditions are accepted.
Note: If you are a veteran from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada or South Africa you are only covered for the treatment of your accepted disabilities.
How do I access this service?
You can contact your LMO to receive medical treatment. Please ensure that you take your Gold or White Card when you visit your LMO, and present your card at your appointment.
Who can my LMO refer me to?
If you require further treatment your LMO may refer you to:
- Chiropractic and osteopathic
- Community Nursing Providers
- Dental (it states in the Dental Services page on VANQUISH, that a referral from a
- GP is not required for dental services)
- Dietetics
- Hearing services
- Home and Community Care (HACC)
- Medical grade footwear suppliers
- Medical specialists
- Occupational therapy
- Office of Hearing Services (Australian Hearing Services).
- Optometrical services
- Orthoptics
- Pathology services, eg blood test
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Psychiatric care, including Psychologists
- Public or Private Hospitals or Day Surgery Facilities
- Radiology services, eg x-rays
- Rehabilitation Appliance Program
- Respite care providers
- Social work
- Speech pathology
- Veterans’ Home Care
- Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service (VVCS).
- X-rays, nuclear medicine imaging, ultrasound and computerised tomography.
- Exercise Physiology
More detailed information on these services is available through other factsheets.
What services can my LMO arrange for me?
If your doctor is registered with DVA under the Repatriation Comprehensive Care Scheme (RCCS), they will:
- provide necessary prescriptions and referrals
- conduct regular reviews of your medication and treatment
- coordinate all your health services
- prepare a health care plan, health assessment or case conference for you under certain conditions; and
- in some cases, perform acupuncture. Generally, the only medical services that an LMO may arrange or provide for you are those listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), but exceptions can be made in special circumstances.
Can my LMO arrange transport for me?
If it is medically essential your LMO can arrange transport for you to travel to the nearest suitable treatment facility or provider. Conditions apply for White Card holders.
Do I need to pay?
Your LMO will bill DVA direct for any care provided to you. If you are billed, do not pay the account, and contact DVA immediately.
Can I choose to be treated as a Medicare patient?
You can choose to be treated under DVA or Medicare arrangements. DVA will not pay for the same service when Medicare has met part or all of the cost of treatment, or a compensation benefit has been paid.
Can I choose to be treated as a private patient?
You can choose to be treated as a private patient at your own expense or through your own private health insurance. However, if you take this option, DVA is unable to reimburse you for private expenses, and is unable to pay the gap between the cost of the services and any rebate payable by your private health fund or Medicare.
What happens when I visit my Local Medical Officer?
The following table shows what happens when you visit your LMO, under DVA arrangements:
Stage Description
- The LMO:
- assesses your need; and
- provides advice and/or treatment and/or a medication review and/or a prescription and/or a referral.
- You will be required to sign a service voucher at the completion of each visit. Before you sign, please check that the service voucher shows your name, file number, date of treatment, and item number. Note: If you are unable to sign, a member of your family or the LMO may sign on your behalf.
- The LMO will give you a copy of the service voucher for your records.
See: Local Medical Officer Services