1800MEDICARE Telehealth Services

The Australian Government launched the new 1800MEDICARE service on 1 January 2026, with an emphasis on making it easier for patients to access health care advice when they need it.

1800MEDICARE is available 24/7 and connects Australians with an advice line and an after-hours telehealth GP, where patients can receive non-urgent healthcare advice.

1800MEDICARE is available to everyone in Australia for free and will connect you with a registered nurse to talk about your health concern. The nurse will then advise next steps, such as advice on self-care at home, or whether you should see a doctor, specialist or pharmacist or attend a hospital’s emergency department.

How does 1800MEDICARE compare to Our Sage?

While both 1800MEDICARE and Our Sage aim to support you, there are some key differences:

• Our Sage connects you with an experienced, Australian-practising GP, while 1800MEDICARE is a nurse-led service in the first instance.
• With Our Sage you can join the queue to speak to the next available doctor within minutes or if it’s urgent, you can choose the Priority Consult option to make it extra quick.
• The nurse at 1800MEDICARE helps you decide whether you should seek medical care or manage symptoms at home and then refer you to speak to a doctor. Our Sage makes it easy to talk to an experienced GP about your general health, repeat prescriptions, specialist referrals and medical certificates.

In summary, 1800MEDICARE operates as a triage and guidance service, not a treatment service. Our Sage can connect you with real GPs in minutes.

Why choose Our Sage

✔ Easy to access:

• Our Sage Telehealth services continue to be available from 7am to 11pm AEST/ AEDT every day of the year including public holidays.
• No extra software is needed - you can consult with one of the GPs in our network without the need to install new software or apps.
• Our Sage is available to all patients in Australia; there is no requirement to share your Medicare card details unless you require a script.

✔ Your choice of GP consult type:

• General GP consultations
• Fast, online medical certificates
• Referrals to a specialist, radiology or pathology provider, or
• Repeat prescriptions for regular medication.

✔ Trusted service:

• Established in 2023, Our Sage is trusted by over 200,000 patients Australia-wide
• Our Sage is backed by a network of 15 large-scale medical centres, operating within a group that’s dedicated to accessible, quality primary healthcare.
• Our Sage has a Google rating of 4.4 stars from over 1,000 Google reviews

Speak to an Our Sage GP

With Our Sage Telehealth, you can speak to a GP from home or anywhere in Australia, from 7am–11pm, every day. Whether you need medical advice, a prescription, a referral or a medical certificate, Our Sage can connect you with an experienced GP in as little as 15 minutes. Speak to a GP now or use the Our Sage Telehealth app to join the queue.