Australia’s two peak medical bodies have asked the federal government to make sure Medicare rules don’t become an obstacle to patient care if the current fuel crisis escalates. In a joint letter to Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler, the RACGP and the AMA called for temporary changes to the telehealth servicing limits that apply to GP telephone consultations.

What is the 30/20 rule?

Under the Medicare Benefits Schedule, the so-called 30/20 prescribed pattern of service rule means a practitioner can attract regulatory scrutiny if they provide 30 or more relevant telephone consultations on 20 or more days within a rolling 12-month period. The rule was designed to flag unusual billing patterns — but in an emergency where patients genuinely cannot travel, high phone-consult volumes become a legitimate and necessary part of care rather than a red flag.

What the RACGP and AMA are proposing

The two organisations have recommended keeping the existing cap of 30 telephone consultations per day, but lifting the 20-day threshold to 50 days during any period when the National Fuel Security Plan is activated at Level 3. It is a deliberately measured, temporary adjustment: the integrity of the rule is preserved in normal times, while practices get headroom to shift care to telehealth when fuel shortages make face-to-face visits difficult or impossible.

Why it matters for patients

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright framed the request around continuity of care, describing general practices as “the front door of Australia’s healthcare system” and warning that telehealth will play a critical role in maintaining access if travel becomes harder. AMA Federal President Dr Danielle McMullen pointed to the patients who stand to benefit most — those with chronic conditions, vulnerable patients and people living in areas where travel is already challenging. National health authorities have already encouraged practitioners to consider telehealth where appropriate during the current crisis; the joint letter asks the government to make sure Medicare settings don’t contradict that advice.

What practices and GPs should do now

The rule change is still only a request, but practices can use this moment to review their telehealth workflows. Practical steps include: checking your practice’s phone-consult volumes against the 30/20 threshold so you know your headroom; updating patient communication plans so regular patients know when a phone consult is appropriate; and confirming that clinical handover and follow-up processes work as well remotely as they do in person. For GP job seekers and locums, telehealth capability is increasingly a selling point of a well-run practice — a sign the business can keep delivering care through disruption. For recruiters, the government’s response is worth watching: if the threshold is lifted, expect rural and regional practices, where travel distances amplify the impact of fuel shortages, to lean even harder on phone consults.

What happens next

The ball is now in the government’s court. The RACGP and AMA argue that preparing these arrangements now is what will let the health system respond quickly if the situation deteriorates. Whether or not Level 3 is ever triggered, the request itself is a useful reminder: telehealth is no longer an emergency-only tool, but a permanent part of how Australian general practice delivers care.

This article draws on reporting from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) — read the original joint release here: https://www.racgp.org.au/gp-news/media-releases/2026-media-releases/july-2026/racgp-and-ama-call-for-temporary-telehealth-flexib