The 1 March 2024 MBS files are available on the March 2024 Downloads Page

Summary of Change for 1 March 2024

From 1 March 2024, there will be several changes to the MBS. These changes include a range of administrative and policy changes, as well as the implementation of the Government's response to recommendations from the independent MBS Review Taskforce (the Taskforce) that was agreed to as part of the 2023-34 Budget.

Details of the changes are as follows:

Psychiatry Services

From 1 March 2024, there will be a variety of changes to psychiatry services, which will implement the Government’s response to recommendations from the Taskforce relating to MBS psychiatry services. The changes will insert, amend and delete items to provide more flexible arrangements, strengthen the intent of the services and clarify and remove obsolete terms from items.

These changes include the introduction of nine items for time-tiered psychiatric services provided to the patient via telehealth and phone attendances in addition to the introduction of 13 items for time-tiered psychiatric interview services provided to a person other than the patient (five face to face, five telehealth and three phone services). Existing psychiatry items 348, 350 and 352 will be repealed and replaced by the new interview items.

Orthopaedic Services

From 1 March 2024, changes to orthopaedic services will be implemented to address patient access issues identified following the implementation of Taskforce recommendations relating to orthopaedic services on 1 July 2021. These changes will include 30 new items and 86 amended items.

Cleft and Craniofacial Services

These changes will implement the Taskforce recommendations related to cleft dental services and modernise the clinical practice for treating patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions from 1 March 2024. These changes include:

• Updates to the table of MBS items at Schedule 1 to introduce nine new items, amend 36 existing items, and delete 26 items;
• The expansion of practitioner access to include eligible paediatric dentists and eligible prosthodontists;
• The removal of sub-categories listed under Category 7; and
• Updates to referral pathways for treating dental specialists, where required.

Other changes to the General Medical Services Table and Diagnostic Imaging Services Table

From 1 March 2024, the following changes will be made to medical and diagnostic imaging services under the MBS:

• Amend 14 plastic and reconstructive surgery items to ensure the appropriate provision of the specified services in hospital settings only;
• Amend six posterior spinal fusion items and the associated item for anterior exposure of the spine to clarify clinical intent and explicitly exclude their use for vertebral body tethering;
• Amend item 30662 for complex surgical repair following a complication from circumcision to include a benefit for patients when a surgical assistant is required for the procedure;
• Insert new item 30664 for the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures and new item 30665 for the removal of difficult biliary stones;
• Insert new item 31537 for the insertion of a breast marker during a breast biopsy;
• Insert item 32118 to provide ongoing access to minimally invasive ventral rectopexy services for the treatment of external rectal prolapse and symptomatic high grade rectal intussusception;
• Insert two new items (37204 and 37205) for non-invasive treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia and remove four items for obsolete benign prostatic hyperplasia treatments;
• Insert three new items (40804, 40805 and 40806) for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for the treatment of medically refractory essential tremor into the GMST; and insert two new items (63019 and 63020) for related magnetic resonance imaging services into the DIST;
• Insert three new items (22052, 22053 and 22054), mirroring existing procedural items, into the anaesthetic Relative Value Guide (RVG) in the GMST to allow an anaesthetist to claim a procedural item in association with the administration of anaesthesia; and amend three existing procedural items (13703, 40018 and 55135) to restrict co-claiming with the new items;
• Insert new item 11732 for exercise electrocardiogram stress testing for patients under investigation, monitoring or treatment for genetic heart disease diagnoses, or first degree relative of patients with confirmed genetic heart disease;
• Amend item 35412 to clarify the pre-operative diagnostic imaging items 60009, 60072, 60075 and 60078 to be claimed in association with the service;
• Insert new item 38325 for intravascular ultrasound coronary stent insertion as an adjunct service to invasive coronary angiogram for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (stent placement only) with complex anatomical characteristics;
• Amendments to items 38373 and 38374 for percutaneous retrieval and/or replacement of a leadless permanent pacemaker to clarify requirements for standby cardiothoracic surgeon support and need for immediate access to a theatre capable of open cardiothoracic surgery;
• Amend item 38557 for complex replacement or repair of aortic arch to allow the service to be performed in conjunction with a service under item 38550, 38553, 38554, 38556, 38558 or 38571 performed by any medical practitioner;
• Amend four thoracic surgery items (38425, 38815, 38816 and 38859) to implement a co-claiming restriction, allow additional surgical methods and align the items with best clinical practice;
• Insert three new nurse practitioner items (82226, 82227 and 82228) for dressing burns and intradermal colouration of the nipple or areola;
• Increase the age limit for case conference services for complex neurodevelopmental disorders and disabilities from under 13 to under 25 years of age to align these services with other items for complex developmental disorder and eligible disability services;
• Amend 13 items for allied health services provided to a patient who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent to streamline access to up to 10 allied health services in a calendar year;
• Administrative amendments to most allied health services following the remake of the Health Insurance (Allied Health Services) Determination 2014; and
• Amend clause 1.2.4 of the GMST to include equivalent telehealth items in the co-claiming restriction for subsequent attendance items with high price items in Group T8.

Relevant legislation

Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (2024 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2024
The purpose of the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (2024 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2024 is to amend the GMST and the DIST from
1 March 2024 as agreed to in the 2023-24 Budget.

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Ventral Mesh Rectopexy Services) Revocation Determination 2023
The purpose of the revocation determination is to revoke the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - Ventral Mesh Rectopexy Services) Determination 2022 which contains item 32118. This Item will be incorporated into the GMST by the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (2024 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2024 on 1 March 2024.

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Amendment (No. 1) Determination 2024
The purpose of the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Amendment (No. 1) Determination 2024 is to amend the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Determination 2021 from 1 March 2024. The amendment Determination will implement Government's response to recommendations from the Taskforce relating to Psychiatry services and also make administrative changes.

Health Insurance (Section 3C Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Services) Amendment (No. 2) Determination 2023
The purpose of the Health Insurance (Section 3C Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Services) Amendment (No. 2) Determination 2023 is to introduce three participating nurse practitioner services under the MBS.

Health Insurance (Section 3C Cleft and Craniofacial Services) Determination 2024
The purpose of the Health Insurance (Section 3C Cleft and Craniofacial Services) Determination 2024 is to repeal and remake the Health Insurance (Section 3C Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Services) Determination 2020. This remake will implement the Taskforce recommendations related to cleft dental services and modernise the clinical practice for treating patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions.

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Allied Health Services) Determination 2024
The purpose of the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Allied Health Services) Determination 2024 is to repeal and remake the Health Insurance (Allied Health Services) Determination 2014, which is due to sunset on 1 April 2024. This remake will ensure that Medicare benefits continue to be payable for allied health services performed by those practitioners.

Please note that this news page is correct at the date of publication listed under “Page last updated” and does not account for any updates to the MBS since this time.