The 1 November 2016 MBS files (XML, DOC, PDF, ZIP) can now be downloaded from the 1 November 2016 downloads page.

The following changes will take effect from 1 November 2016:

New items
6018 6019 6023 6024 6025 6026 6028 6029 6031 6032 6034 6035 6037 6038 6042 6051 6052 6057 6058 6059 6060 6062 6063 6064 6065 6067 6068 6071 6072 6074 6075 11219 12017 12022 12024 12025 12026 12027 12325 12326 30072 30654 30658 31206 31211 31216 31221 31356 31357 31358 31359 31360 31361 31362 31363 31364 31365 31366 31367 31368 31369 31370 31371 31372 31373 31374 31375 31376 45201 45202 63487 63488 63489 63490

Ceased items
12015 12018 30653 30656 30659 30660 31200 31205 31210 31215 31230 31235 31240 31255 31256 31257 31258 31260 31261 31262 31263 31265 31266 31267 31268 31270 31271 31272 31273 31275 31276 31277 31278 31280 31281 31282 31283 31285 31286 31287 31288 31290 31291 31292 31293 31295 31300 31305 31310 31315 31320 31325 31330 31335

Amended descriptions
11215 11218 12000 12003 12012 12021 30071 31220 31225 31340 34103 45000 45003 45018 45200 45203 45206 45207 48424 49303 49366

Fee amended
12021

Sexual Health Medicine
Sixteen new items (6051, 6052, 6057, 6058, 6059, 6060, 6062, 6063, 6064, 6065, 6067, 6068, 6071, 6072, 6074 and 6075) have been listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for services provided by sexual health medicine specialists to treat people with sexually transmissible infections and/or sexual function disorders. This listing was supported by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) (MSAC application 1171).

Addiction Medicine
Fifteen new items (6018, 6019, 6023, 6024, 6025, 6026, 6028, 6029, 6031, 6032, 6034, 6035, 6037, 6038 and 6042) have been listed on the MBS for services provided by addiction medicine specialists to treat people with addiction disorders. This listing was supported by the MSAC (MSAC application 1167).

Optical Coherence Tomography - item 11219
One item (11219) has been listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule for optical coherence tomography to determine patients’ eligibility to use Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidised ranibizumab, aflibercept or dexamethasone to treat certain eye conditions. This listing was supported by the Medical Services Advisory Committee at its July 2015 and March 2016 meetings.

Hip Surgery items
Amendments to MBS hip surgery items 49366, 49303 and 48424 are a result of the MBS Review of Arthroscopic Hip Procedures. At its November 2015 meeting, the MSAC considered the evidence in relation to the safety, clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of therapeutic hip arthroscopy procedures. MSAC recommended the restriction of MBS items 49366 (hip arthroscopy) and 49303 (hip arthrotomy) to exclude the femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) indication. This restriction will also apply to MBS item 48424 (femur or pelvis, osteotomy or osteectomy).

Vascular surgery item
Item 34103 has been amended to clarify the definition of ‘great artery’ and ‘great vein’ in the item descriptor, limit the item to two claims in the same episode and restrict its use with six varicose vein items (32508, 32511, 32520, 32522, 32523 and 32526).

Circumcision
The four circumcision items (30653, 30656, 30659 and 30660) have been removed and replaced with two new items (30654 and 30658). Item 30658 is for circumcision procedures performed under anaesthesia and item 30654 is for all other circumcision procedures.

Epicutaneous patch testing for allergic dermatitis
These items have been restructured for clarity, and new items introduced to test a greater number of allergens on one occasion. The item descriptors have also been simplified by referring to the number of allergens in a test rather than a ‘standard’ test battery.

Dermis, dermofat, or fascia graft
This item will be amended to restrict its use with neurosurgical items 40300 to 40351, as it is not clinically appropriate for dermofat grafting to be claimed in association with spinal surgery.

Skin services
These changes are the result of the Skin Services Review and were supported by the MSAC in November 2015. The review considered current skin excision items 31200-31335 (excluding items 31245 and 31250), the biopsy item 30071 and the flap items 45000, 45003 and 45200-45207. These items have been restructured to reflect best clinical practice and to simplify the schedule by reducing the number of items.

The changes included:

· a restructure of 48 current skin excision items to 21 new skin excision items,
· the creation of two more restricted items for flap repair and the amendment of items 45000, 45003 and 45200-45207 to prevent their use
for closure of skin cancer excisions,
· the creation of five new items for the biopsy or excision of lesions from mucous membranes,
· two item amendments to separate the biopsy or excision of lesions of mucous membranes from two existing items and
· an amendment to item 31340 to reflect the new arrangements.

Retinal photography with a non-mydriatic retinal camera
Two new items, 12325 and 12326 have been listed on the MBS to enable general practitioners and specialists managing patients’ diabetic care to test for diabetic retinopathy with a non-mydriatic retinal camera. Non- Indigenous patients are eligible for the test once every two years and Indigenous Australians once every year. This listing was supported by the MSAC at its November 2014 meeting (MSAC application 1181).

Items 11215 and 11218
There is an amendment to these items to omit the reference to ‘photography’ and substitute with ‘angiography’.

Breast MRI Items
Two new MRI services (four items 63487, 63488, 63489, 63490) have been added for patients with metastatic breast cancer, for an MRI of the breast and an MRI guided biopsy. This listing was supported by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (application 1333).