Dear Doctors and Health Care Workers
News flash!
The government has been busy over the weekend, enacting the below raft of Determinations
- Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Amendment Determination 2020
- Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Amendment (Bulk-billing) Determination 2020
- Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Amendment (Expansion of Specialist Services) Determination 2020
- Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – GP and Allied Health COVID‑19 Services) Determination 2020
What we can see so far:
- Commencement date is tomorrow, 6th April 2020
- Physician items 132 and 133 are included
- New items for Psychiatrists including initial consultations
- New items for Geriatricians including some of the longer consults
- New items for Paediatricians
- Appears to be a return to COVID vulnerability criteria for patients and providers in some circumstances
- Bulk billing still forced – not entirely clear yet but a brief review suggests in some circumstances forced bulk billing is intended for COVID vulnerable patients, concessions card holders and under 16s only and usual billing may be otherwise permitted. Less clear for specialists.
- Appears to still be outpatients only.
We will pour over it tomorrow and provide a further update at the end of the day.
Till then.
All bulletins are available on our website at this link https://synapsemedical.com.au/news/category/covid-mbs-billing-faqs/
Margaret and the Synapse team.
COVID MBS items explainer and FAQs No. 21, 6 April 2020…Read more