October 2020 News
News on changes to the MBS for October 2020
On 18 September 2020, the Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, and the Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, announced:$2 billion to extend critical health services across Australia.
A range of COVID-19 health measures are being extended for a further six months, to 31 March 2021. This extension will include Medicare-subsidised telehealth and pathology services, GP-led respiratory clinics, home medicines delivery, public and private hospital services. Patients will continue to have access to Medicare-subsidised telehealth for general practitioner, nursing, midwifery, allied health and allied mental health services, where and when they need them. Telehealth is also being extended for essential specialist services, such as consultant physician, geriatrician, and neurosurgery services.
Changes to bulk-billing
The telehealth and phone consultation services provided by GPs and other doctors in general practice will be amended to remove the requirement to bulk-bill attendances for certain patients. When the amendment takes effect on 1 October 2020, these doctors will be able to choose to bulk-bill or patient bill any temporary COVID-19 telehealth and phone attendance service. Bulk billing will continue to be available and regular billing practices will apply to all of these services.
It is still a legislative requirement that these services, provided by GPs and other doctors in general practice, must be performed by the patient’s usual medical practitioner (please see Note AN.1.1 for the definition of ‘patient’s usual medical practitioner’ as some exemptions do apply).
The temporary doubling of the schedule fees for the bulk-billing incentive items will cease and schedule fees will return to the normal rate.
Fact sheets with further information can be found at the MBS temporary telehealth services page.