What to do if you're sick and your doctor isn't available

anna-faulkner
By: Anna Faulkner
Blog
Medicompare - Using overseas telehealth providers

What to do if you're sick and your doctor isn't available

When you’re unwell, the last thing you want is more stress, especially if you’re unable to book an appointment to see your regular GP. Fortunately, Telehealth has become a commonly used and easily accessible option for a diverse range of medical needs.

Telehealth can be used for general medical consultations, follow-ups, referrals, and administrative health requests such as medical certificates. With more services operating nationwide, Australians now have more choice, but that also makes it harder to understand which options may be suitable for different situations. Comparison platforms such as Medicompare exist to help consumers understand how different Australian telehealth services operate, including cost structures, availability, and areas of care, without needing to visit multiple provider websites individually. From this information, people can make informed decisions about their health care and choose a Telehealth provider depending on their specific needs.

What About Cost?

In Australia bulk billing is widely used, where a healthcare provider bills Medicare directly for your appointment, meaning you pay $0 out of pocket. Not every telehealth service offers this, but many do for eligible consultations, prescriptions and certain mental health or after-hours care. As of November 2025, it is now mandatory for healthcare providers to list online and in-practice whether they provide bulk billing [1]. Medicompare lets you filter providers by bulk-billing availability, so you can find options where you only use your Medicare card.

Some of these Telehealth providers listed include:

  • Hola Health: Mental health treatment plan assessments are 100% bulk billed for a 20-minute consult. Prescriptions can be fully bulk billed for medications on Hola Health’s list for eligible patients.
  • 13Sick: 13Sick is free, as all services are billed directly to Medicare. Free emergency care.
  • PrimeMedic: Provides after hours and GP consults with bulk-billing available for those with Medicare.

What About Waiting Times and Availability?

When you don’t need emergency attention, but you need to speak to a doctor, telehealth GP consults are often the fastest route. These services can help you:

  • Diagnose and manage common illnesses
  • Request prescriptions or medical certificates
  • Get specialist referrals
  • Ask about ongoing or chronic symptoms

Through Telehealth consult comparison, multiple providers will offer same-day or have appointment availability within 15 minutes.  Some Telehealth providers also provide the option for the patient to choose their own medical practitioner, allowing the creation of a therapeutic relationship between patient and practitioner. Some of the Telehealth groups that provide these services include:

  • Wellness: Wellness provides both choice of nurse practitioner and same day appointments, often within the hour.
  • UpDoc: Has appointments often available within minutes to an hour.
  • OurSage: Priority consults within 15 minutes, and even regular consults often require only a 30-minute wait.

What Does Telehealth Cover?

Telehealth covers much more than just prescriptions and medical certificates. It has now branched out to cover preventative health topics including sexual health, mental health, comprehensive care plan creation and assistance with weight loss. Comparison platforms aim to simplify this process by having headings available for the most common Telehealth topics and health concerns, comparing all options on an easy-to-read page.

Weight loss:

  • Qoctor: Provides dietician sessions – flexible care with no commitments.
  • HubHealth: Schedules Telehealth appointments with AHPRA registered practitioners.
  • MedMate: Clinically monitored weight loss treatments with free MyFitness tracking.

Mental Health:

  • Talked: 24/7 mental health support available with a variety of mental health services offered.
  • MyMirror: Psychologist review for individual, teenagers and couples’ therapy.
  • SomeoneHealth: Provides mental health treatment plans with wait time up to 48 hours.

Sexual Health:

  • Stigma Health: Focuses on STI and STD testing and referrals, with some services bulk billed.
  • InstantScripts:  Offers pathology referrals and consultations for STI treatment.
  • SISTR/HeyFella: Specialised and comprehensive sexual health support for women and the LGBTQ community.

Final Thoughts

Being sick or needing medical support when your regular medical provider isn’t available can be frustrating. Telehealth has provided consumers with an alternative, accessible option, providing a level of healthcare that is comparable to in-person appointments. With Telehealth comparison platforms, such as Medicompare Australia, you can make an informed choice and find a Telehealth provider that matches your specific needs, whether that’s zero out-of-pocket cost, preventative health support, or an urgent GP consult.