November 2024 News

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

Page last updated: 05 November 2024

The 1 November 2024 MBS files are available on the November 2024 Downloads Page.

Summary of Changes for 1 November 2024

From 1 November 2024, there will be changes to the MBS. These changes include a range of administrative and policy changes to implement the Australian Government’s response to recommendations for the MBS Review Taskforce (the Taskforce) and the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC). The changes will affect MBS legislation, including the:


Greatest Permissible Gap

On 1 November 2024, the Greatest Permissible Gap (GPG) amount will be indexed in line with the consumer price index (September quarter).

Further information on the GPG is available on the Department’s website.

Changes relating to general medical services

From 1 November 2024, changes will be made relating to general medical services. These changes include:

  • Amendment to item 22002 and related clauses to allow for intraoperative cell salvage (blood collection) and transfusion services;
  • Amendment to item 90300 to allow provision of the service in conjunction with intermediate or low surgical risk Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) services;
  • Amendments to various radiation oncology services listed in Group T2 to address issues raised following implementation of new and amended radiation oncology items on 1 July 2024;
  • Incorporation of item 31227 into the General Medical Services Table;
  • Minor amendments to items 32135 and 32139 for the treatment of haemorrhoids;
  • Amendment to item 45614 to allow the service to be provided out-of-hospital;
  • Amendment to vertebroplasty item 35401 to allow additional appropriately trained clinicians to provide the service;

  • Introduction of six new temporary telehealth items (items 92478, 92479, 92480, 92481, 92482 and 92483) for in-hospital psychiatry services;
  • Consequential amendments to items 38514 and 38522 for TAVI services to align the item descriptors with the amendment being made to item 90300; and
  • Amendment to item 38461 for transcatheter mitral valve repair to remove a restriction that a specific device be used as part of the service.

Changes relating to diagnostic imaging services

From 1 November 2024, changes will be made relating to diagnostic imaging services. These changes include:

  • Expansion of ultrasound services for nurse practitioners to assist with the prescription of MS2-Step;
  • New positron emission tomography/computerised tomography item 61614 for the evaluation of treatment response and recurrence for patients with rare and uncommon cancers;
  • Amendment to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) item 63476 to include use for the restaging and follow up of rectal cancer;
  • One-off fee increases for non-PET nuclear medicine items in subgroup 1 of Group I4; and
  • Schedule fee reduction for computed tomography items in Group I2 of the Diagnostic Imaging Services Table.

Changes relating to pathology services

From 1 November 2024, changes will be made relating to pathology services. These changes include:

  • New item 66829 for N-Terminal-pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) and BNP testing to aid in the diagnosis of patients with suspected heart failure in a non-hospital setting;
  • Amendment to item 73343 for 17p deletion testing of chronic lymphocytic lymphoma patients to remove reference to test methodologies;
  • Amendment to address typographical error in item 73410;
  • Schedule fee increase for item 73420 for Rhesus D non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) of non-alloimmunised patients and amendment to item 73421 to allow for testing of patients with multiple birth pregnancies;
  • Amendment to items 73424, 73434 and 73422 to clarify policy intent and specify the purposes of particular types of genetic testing for various neuromuscular conditions;
  • Amendment to item 73429 for somatic gene testing to remove specification of a test methodology;
  • Amendment to item 73441 for genetic testing for childhood hearing loss;
  • Amendment to item 73451 for reproductive carrier testing for cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and fragile X syndrome; and
  • New point-of-care pathology items 73825 and 73813 for testing of people in rural and remote Australia for sexually transmitted infections by medical practitioner or nurse practitioner respectively.

Relevant legislation

Please note links will be added as they become available on the Federal Register of 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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