Medicare Benefits Schedule

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MBS COVID-19 Management Support Service

Commencing 8 November 2021, and available until 30 September 2022, a temporary Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item has been made available to support medical practitioners providing clinically relevant treatment to COVID-19 positive patients.

As Australia moves into the next phase of living with the COVID-19 virus, a need for additional temporary support for medical practitioners has been introduced to support the provision of care to COVID-19 positive patients who can be managed in the community effectively and safely.

MBS item 93715 is intended to support medical practitioners who are required to undertake additional measures, including PPE, in order to provide safe face-to-face services to patients with a recent diagnosis of COVID-19, confirmed by either a laboratory PCR test, or a COVID-19 rapid antigen self-test.

PDF version MBS Online Factsheet-COVID-19 Management Support Service 18 May 2022 (PDF 256 KB)
Word version MBS Online Factsheet-COVID-19 Management Support Service 18 May 2022 (Word 94 KB)

 

MBS telehealth services

From 1 July 2022, ongoing MBS telehealth arrangements remain in place and provide for a wide range of telephone and video services by qualified health practitioners and support safe and equitable telehealth services which are informed by the MBS Review Taskforce Principles. Previous temporary arrangements ceased on 30 June 2022.

MBS telehealth items are available to GPs, medical practitioners, specialists, consultant physicians, nurse practitioners, participating midwives, allied health providers and dental practitioners in the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Patients’ in areas declared a natural disaster in response to recent flooding can access telehealth services from any GP. Eligible regions are State or Territory Local Government Areas identified as a natural disaster at the time of the service.

The Government has indicated they intend to pause the proposed new prescribed pattern of service (a ‘30/20 rule’) for telephone attendances provided by consultant physicians and GPs. It is now intended this rule will be paused and will be recommenced on 1 October 2022. The PSR may take into account exceptional circumstances in considering the claiming practices of individual practitioners.

View the available MBS Telehealth services fact sheets here 

A factsheet is also available with further information on the additional 10 MBS Mental Health Sessions page

For further information, refer to HealthPathways WA - COVID-19 MBS Items (for login details, email healthpathways@wapha.org.au).


 

New MBS items - Assessment for COVID-19 oral anti-viral medications by telephone consultation

Commencing 19 July 2022, and available until 31 October 2022, two new temporary MBS item have been made available to support medical practitioners with treating COVID-19 positive patients.

The two new items 93716 (for General Practitioners) and 93717 (for Other Medical Practitioners) will be available for medical practitioners working in a general practice setting to assess a patients suitability to receive a prescription for a COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment via a telehealth phone consultation lasting at least 20 minutes (25 minutes for OMPs). The new items are specific to services for eligible Medicare patients nationally who have confirmed their COVID-19 infection via a laboratory test (PCR) or by a Rapid Antigen Test.

The Medicare benefits for the new temporary items will be paid at 85% of the schedule fee and are equivalent to the benefit paid for other time-tiered consultation items of equivalent duration

Further information is available in the following fact sheet


 

MBS items for Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs)

From 10 December 2020 until 30 June 2022, temporary Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items are available for care recipients in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The new items apply to RACF residents referred for allied health services under the following treatment, management or care plans:
  • Multidisciplinary Care Plans; OR
  • GP Management Plans; OR
  • Shared Care Plans; OR
  • Team Care Plans; AND/OR
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Assessments.
 
These temporary MBS items are applicable for non-admitted patients that reside in a RACF and cannot be claimed as part of hospital treatment.
GP and OMP attendance items for use in RACFs:
Allied health providers - Last Updated 1 October 2021
GP and OMP's - Last Updated 1 October 2021
 

Other Medicare fact sheets and cheat sheets

 

Introduction to Medicare services

 

Frequently used MBS items in General Practice

 

Care plans and health assessments

 

Digital Health

 

Miscellaneous 

Practice Assist acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners and Elders of this country and recognises the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values and beliefs and how these contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community.

Disclaimer
While the Australian Government Department of Health has contributed to the funding of this website, the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government and is not advice that is provided, or information that is endorsed, by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not responsible in negligence or otherwise for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.