Dear Doctors and Health Care Workers
Newsflash! Private inpatient telehealth services are here!
It’s been almost a year to the day since we sent our last Covid bulletin. We hope you have all been surviving out there.
A major change hit the federal register yesterday so we thought we should share it with you. Firstly, here’s the link: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2021L01263
New telehealth services have been added for in-hospital services, both video and phone, but don’t get too excited and think you never have to go to the hospital again. The services are tightly restricted so please be careful before you bill.
Here are the key elements/things to know:
1. Only the admitting doctor or dental practitioner can claim the items. That’s the person named on the bed card and no-one else.
2. The patient must be a private admitted patient. You obviously can’t bill public admitted patients through the MBS.
3. You, the practitioner, must be located in Covid hotspot, or in isolation or quarantine.
4. Items are available for all surgeons, physicians, psychiatrists, anaesthetists, and dental practitioners.
5. Private health gapcover schemes and rebates do not apply to these services.
6. You can charge private fees and any OOPs will count towards the patient’s Medicare safety nets.
So basically, this is intended to deal with situations where you have private admitted patients, and you are suddenly not able to go in and see them due to a government order. Some more info is here: http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Factsheet-Specialist-Tele
And to find Covid hotspots go here https://www.health.gov.au/ then go to your State/Territory
Thanks everyone
Margaret and the Synapse team.