The December 2020 MBS files are available on the December 2020 downloads page.
Summary of Change for 10 December 2020
New MBS items for care recipients in residential aged care facilities
From 10 December 2020 until 30 June 2022, new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items will be available for care recipients in residential aged care facilities which supports the mental and physical health of aged care residents who has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or the measures taken to contain its spread.
There will be additional temporary items to allow care recipients of a residential aged care facility to increase the amount of selected Medicare subsidised chronic disease management plan allied health services, and enable residential care recipients to access allied health group services.
The new MBS items for care recipients in a residential aged care facility replicate the existing face to face and telehealth items for allied health chronic disease management plan services, indigenous follow up services for eligible patients who have received a health assessment, and group assessment services. There will also be new temporary residential aged care facility MBS items that permit residential care recipients to access up to 10 services per calendar year for selected physical therapy services, including exercise physiology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
In addition, new temporary face-to-face MBS items will be introduced for care recipients of a residential aged care facility for longer initial individual allied health chronic disease management services and initial Indigenous follow up services.
There will also be additional new items for the creation and review of a mental health treatment plan specific to care recipients of residential aged care facilities. These changes will provide access for care recipients in residential aged care facilities with access to the existing individual mental health treatment services and where necessary provide residential care recipients with access to the additional 10 individual treatment services that were introduced in August 2020.
Botox Item 18361
From 1 December 2020, amendments to MBS item 18361 for the treatment of moderate to severe upper limb spasticity due to cerebral palsy will enable Medicare benefits to be paid for injection of the patients who meet the same criteria as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS) listed medicines.The changes to item 18361 will include adding Clostridium Botulinum Type A Toxin-Haemagglutinin Complex (Dysport®) as an acceptable alternative treatment, and a patient who is at least 18 years of age no longer has to have commenced treatment for the spasticity with botulinum toxin supplied under the PBS, as is currently outlined in part (b) of the existing MBS descriptor.
Nuclear Medicine Imaging
From 1 December 2020, substitute nuclear medicine items (61311, 61332, 61333, 61336, 61337, 61341 and 61344) will recommence to allow patients continued access to certain nuclear medicine services during a disruption in the supply of radiopharmaceuticals resulting in shortages. Two items will be amended (61311 and 61332) and five new substitute items (61365, 61377, 61380, 61418 and 61422) will commence to align with changes made to cardiac services on 1 August 2020 and 15 September 2020. This will ensure that patients are able to access appropriate nuclear medicine items during the current shortage of nuclear medicine isotopes.
The items will be available until 28 February 2021. If the supply of nuclear medicine isotopes stabilises earlier, then this date will be brought forward. Alternatively, this date can be extended if supply is not stabilised.
| New items from 10 December 2020 |
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| Amended items from 10 December 2020 | 90001 90002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amended Items from 1 December 2020 | 18361 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recommenced items from 1 December 2020 NOTE: * means that the descriptor has also been amended | 61311(*) 61332(*) 61333 61336 61337 61341 61344 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Items from 1 December 2020 | 61365 61377 61380 61418 61422 |
Relevant Legislation
Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical – Expansion of GP and Allied Health Mental Health and Chronic Disease Management Services) Amendment Determination 2020
The purpose of the legislative instrument is to introduce temporary Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) items to allow care recipients of a residential aged care facility to increase the amount of selected Medicare subsidised GP and Allied Health Mental Health and Chronic Disease Management services.
The purpose of the legislative instrument is to introduce temporary Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) items to allow care recipients of a residential aged care facility to increase the amount of selected Medicare subsidised chronic disease management plan allied health services. The legislative instrument also enables care recipients in residential aged care facilities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, or the measures taken to contain its spread, to access allied health group services.
Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical – Expansion of GP and Allied Health Mental Health Services) Amendment (Care Recipient in a Residential Aged Care Facility) Determination 2020
The purpose of the legislative instrument is to introduce temporary Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) items for the creation and review of a mental health treatment plans specific to care recipients of residential aged care facilities. These items will provide access to the existing individual mental health treatment services listed in the Health Insurance (Allied Health Services) Determination 2014 and where necessary the additional 10 individual treatment services listed in the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical – Expansion of GP and Allied Health Mental Health Services) Determination 2020.
Health Insurance (Section 3C Diagnostic Imaging – Nuclear Medicine Services) Amendment Determination 2020.
The legislative instrument will reinstate the substitute items from 1 December 2020 until 28 February 2021. If the supply of nuclear medicine isotopes stabilises earlier, then this date will be brought forward. Alternatively it can be extended if supply is not stabilised. The instrument will also amend existing substitute items (61311 and 61332) and will introduce five new substitute items (61365, 61377, 61380, 61418 and 61422) to align with changes made to cardiac services on 1 August 2020 and 15 September 2020.
Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Botox Injection) Amendment Determination 2020
The legislative instrument will expand item 18361 to include Clostridium Botulinum Type A Toxin-Haemagglutinin Complex (Dysport®) as an acceptable alternative treatment, and will remove the requirement for patients who are at least 18 years old to have commenced treatment for the spasticity with botulinum toxin supplied under the PBS, prior to them turning 18 years old.