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Australian Telehealth GP Comparison 2026
Independent editorial comparison of 4 Australian telehealth GP services. Pricing, hours, Medicare position, doctor disclosure — no composite scoring, no paid placement. Updated 2026-05-20.
The fast read
- Bulk-billing isn't generally available on pure-telehealth services. The "12-month rule" requires an in-person consult at the same clinic in the last year for Medicare rebates to apply, and these operators don't run in-person clinics.
- Mental Health Care Plans (MHCPs) are an exception — Medicare-funded MHCPs are available through several providers in this cohort.
- Pricing transparency varies — InstantScripts publishes every price up-front; Doctors on Demand publishes some; HelloGP publishes the full tier; Qoctor publishes only a starting price.
- Doctor disclosure is the cohort's weakest area — most operators state their doctors are "AHPRA-registered" without naming them. Publishing the clinical team with AHPRA registration numbers would be the single biggest transparency lift in the category.
Comparison table
Click any column header to sort. Editorial reviews per provider are linked from the provider name.
| Provider | Standard consult | Hours | Bulk billing | Mental Health Plans | Doctors named | 24/7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors on Demand | Pricing displayed at booking | 24/7 — every day including public holidays | — | Yes | — | Yes |
| InstantScripts | $49 | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Qoctor | From $14.99 | Not stated on the public homepage | — | — | — | — |
| HelloGP | $44 | Doctors available 6am–10pm; appointments bookable online 24/7 | — | — | Yes | — |
Best for
Editorial use-case match. Not a ranking — telehealth fit depends on what you actually need.
Doctors on Demand
After-hours and public-holiday access for repeat scripts and medical certificates.
InstantScripts
Users who want to know exactly what the consult will cost before signing up — every service has a fixed price displayed.
Qoctor
Price-sensitive users willing to navigate the booking flow to see service breadth and detailed pricing.
HelloGP
Australian-incorporated alternative for users specifically seeking that — we'd suggest comparing against the longer-established options in this cohort first.
How we review
Each provider review is built from publicly available information — pricing pages, FAQs, team disclosures, terms of service, MBS rules, AHPRA registration claims, and third-party review platforms (Trustpilot, MediCompare, ProductReview). No paid placement, no sponsored slots. Where a fact isn't publicly available, we say so explicitly rather than guess.
We use categorical badges instead of a composite 0-100 score — providers either have a feature (24/7 verified, transparent pricing, named clinical team) or they don't. Composite scores in this category invite pay-to-play perception and don't capture the real decision criteria, which depend on what you need (script vs certificate vs MHCP vs after-hours).
Badge legend
- 24/7 verified — Operates around the clock including public holidays
- Mental Health Care Plans — Offers Medicare-funded MHCPs for eligible patients
- Transparent pricing — Every service has a fixed price displayed before sign-up
- Names all doctors — Lists the full clinical team with AHPRA numbers on the public site
- Bulk billing available — Can bulk-bill at least some consult types via Medicare
- Trustpilot 4.0+ — Public review platform rating of 4.0 or above
- Australian-owned — Australian-incorporated, ABN-registered, Australian-domiciled
Common questions
Can telehealth doctors in Australia bulk-bill Medicare?
Generally no, unless you've had a face-to-face consult with that GP (or another GP at the same clinic) within the last 12 months. This "established clinical relationship" rule was made permanent after the COVID-era temporary telehealth items expired. Pure telehealth-only services (the operators on this page) cannot bulk-bill standard consults because they have no in-person practice. Exceptions exist for under-13s, after-hours items, residents of residential aged care facilities, and a handful of specific MBS items.
Are telehealth doctors AHPRA-registered?
Yes — every doctor working at a legitimate Australian telehealth service must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the same as any in-person GP. You can verify any individual practitioner's registration at ahpra.gov.au/search. Most telehealth services state their doctors are AHPRA-registered but only a few publish individual doctor names and registration numbers.
Can a telehealth doctor write any prescription?
No. Schedule 8 (opioids like oxycodone, higher-dose codeine) and Schedule 4D (benzodiazepines like diazepam, alprazolam) cannot be prescribed via telehealth in most Australian states. This is federal/state regulation, not a vendor restriction. Schedule 4 medications (most antibiotics, most antidepressants, blood pressure, statins) can generally be prescribed.
How do telehealth medical certificates work?
An AHPRA-registered doctor can issue a medical certificate via telehealth for short-term illness (typically 1-7 days). Employers must accept telehealth-issued certificates the same as in-person ones under Fair Work Act provisions. Certificates requiring physical examination (e.g. fitness-for-work for safety-sensitive industries, return-to-work after major injury) usually still need an in-person assessment.
What if I have an emergency?
Telehealth is not for emergencies. Call 000 immediately for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, suspected stroke (FAST: face, arms, speech, time), severe bleeding, suspected overdose, or any threat to life. For non-emergency urgent issues call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (free, 24/7).
Are you a telehealth provider?
If you operate an Australian telehealth GP service and aren't listed here, submit your service for review. Editorial reviews are free; paid Featured + Premium tiers offer logo placement and a custom 100-word pitch on the comparison table.
Last updated 2026-05-20. Pricing verified against each operator's live site at time of publication. Provider data is updated quarterly or when material changes are announced. To report inaccurate information, email hello@decisionlab.com.au.