July 2024 News

News containing information on changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for 1 July 2024

Page last updated: 24 May 2024

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

Summary of Change for 1 July 2024

From 1 July 2024, there will be changes to the MBS. These changes include annual fee indexation and a range of administrative and policy changes to implement the Government’s response to recommendations from the MBS Review Taskforce (the Taskforce) and the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC). The changes will affect the:
  • Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021;
  • Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulations 2020;
  • Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations (No. 2) 2020; and
  • Health Insurance Regulations 2018.
Details of the changes are as follows:

Indexation

From 1 July 2024, annual fee indexation will be applied to:
  • most of the general medical services items;
  • most diagnostic imaging services (excluding nuclear imaging services); and
  • pathology items in Group P12.
The MBS indexation factor for 1 July 2024 is 3.5 per cent.

Radiation Oncology changes

From 1 July 2024, amendments will be made to radiation oncology services on the MBS to implement the Government’s response to recommendations from the Taskforce relating to radiation oncology. The Taskforce Oncology Clinical Committee (OCC) made recommendations to restructure the current MBS services for radiation oncology in Group T2 to align with contemporary clinical practice and improve health outcomes for patients. The new structure for radiation therapy comprises modern descriptors and fees weighted to reflect service complexity. It was determined that a restructured schedule will reflect a fairer distribution of funding and better alignment with service complexity.
The restructure will modernise, consolidate and delete radiation oncology MBS items as follows:
  • Restructure and simplify of megavoltage items according to a two-part (planning and treatment) payment model tiered by five levels of procedural complexity;
  • Inclusion of seven replan items in association with some megavoltage and brachytherapy planning items. This will allow for one replan only to be claimed for each relevant megavoltage or brachytherapy treatment course. The fee for the replan will be set at 50% (standard fee type) of the original treatment planning item;
  • Consolidate orthovoltage and superficial radiation therapy items into three items for kilovoltage therapy;
  • Introduce a new item for the planning of kilovoltage therapy;
  • Restructure brachytherapy items into four items tiered by three levels of procedural complexity;
  • Delete clinically obsolete brachytherapy items; and
  • Delete clinically obsolete items for cobalt and caesium radiation therapy.

Other changes to general medical services

From 1 July 2024, the following changes will be made to general medical services under the MBS:
  • Amendment to item 11300 for brain stem evoked response audiometry and items 11340, 11341 and 11343 for vestibular assessment to remove a co-claiming restriction;
  • Amendment to six colonoscopy items and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) item 32230 to clarify that the provision of a service under item 32230 includes a colonoscopy service described in items 32222, 32223, 32224, 32225, 32226 and 32228 to prevent inappropriate co-claiming;
  • Amendment of two items for non-invasive treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia (37204 and 37205) to correct typographical errors;
  • Two new items (41768 and 41769) for the insertion of bioabsorbable nasal implants;
  • Minor administrative amendments to two orthopaedic items (49564 and 49565); and
  • Amendment to orthopaedic item 50654 to clarify anaesthesia requirements for the service.
  • Ongoing access will be provided for telehealth general practice attendance items relating to blood borne viruses, sexual or reproductive health services.

Changes to the diagnostic imaging services

From 1 July 2024, the following change will be made to diagnostic imaging services under the MBS:
  • Simplify the administrative arrangements for capital sensitivity provisions in the DIST;
  • Amendment to supervision requirements of diagnostic imaging nuclear medicine services to align supervision requirements with requirements for other diagnostic imaging modalities; and
  • Two new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services (item 63539 and 63540) for annual surveillance to detect newly developed renal tumours, and ongoing assessment of changes over time to an existing renal tumour for patients with defined rare inherited conditions associated with an increased risk of renal tumours.
  • Schedule fee increase to temporary nuclear medicine items 61470 and 61477.

Changes to the pathology services

From 1 July 2024, the following changes will be made to pathology services under the MBS:
  • New item 66586 to provide pathology testing for quantifying BNP or NT-proBNP in patients with previously diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension;
  • Two new items (73313 and 73316) for the detection of measurable residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) using quantitative molecular assay (qPCR);
  • Amendment of pathology item 73410 to include carrier testing of individuals with normal red cell indices if their reproductive partner has been diagnosed with a heterozygous 2-gene deletional alpha thalassemia; and
  • Amendment to items 73410, 73411, 73412 and 73413 to allow for testing of reproductive couples in either order.
  • Two new items (69421 and 69422) for nucleic acid testing of respiratory pathogens in patients with suspected respiratory infection.

Relevant legislation


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.

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