Connecting Health Services With the Future: Questions and Answers for Patients
Questions and answers which have been prepared to assist Patients in understanding the
‘Connecting Health Services With the Future: Modernising Medicare by Providing Rebates for Online Consultations’ initiative.
Why has the Australian Government introduced this initiative?
What is a telehealth video consultation?
How can I have a video consultation with my specialist?
Can I receive a Medicare or DVA rebate?
Where can these services be provided?
Can video consultations be claimed through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs?
Can I claim a Medicare or DVA rebate if I have a video consultation with my specialist when I am in hospital?
If my practitioner suggests a video consultation do I have a choice?
Can video consultations be conducted in my home?
Who is able to provide video consultations?
Can I choose who will be in the room with me when I have the video consultation with the specialist?
Are there different privacy requirements for consulting with my specialist by video conference?
Why do I have two bills for the one service?
How do I pay my specialist?
Why has the Australian Government introduced this initiative?
The telehealth initiative will make it easier for Australians living outside major cities to access specialist medical services. Patients using telehealth facilities located in general practices, eligible residential aged care facilities, eligible Aboriginal Medical Services and other facilities, will be able to ‘see’ specialists without the time and expense involved in travelling to major cities, in many cases sooner than would otherwise be the case.
What is a telehealth video consultation?
For the purposes of this initiative, a video consultation is where a patient and eligible specialist, consultant physician or psychiatrist undertake a consultation via video conferencing equipment.
How can I have a video consultation with my specialist?
To take part in a video consultation, you must be referred to a specialist from your GP; and your service must be provided by a specialist, consultant physician or psychiatrist. You should discuss the benefits and risks of any treatment including video consultations with your doctors.
Can I receive a Medicare or DVA rebate?
Yes. New Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items will be introduced for video consultations from 1 July 2011. Further information about the MBS items is available
here.
Where can these services be provided?
Under this initiative the specialist can be located anywhere in Australia but the location of the patient at the time of the consultation must be outside an inner metropolitan area. This is referred to as a telehealth eligible area.
Residents of a residential aged care facility or people receiving a service from an eligible Aboriginal Medical Service can receive a video consultation anywhere in Australia – the inner metropolitan exclusion does not apply to residential aged care facilities and Aboriginal Medical Services. Maps of telehealth eligible areas are available
here.
Can video consultations be claimed through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs?
Yes
Can I claim a Medicare or DVA rebate if I have a video consultation with my specialist when I am in hospital?
No. Medicare or DVA rebates are not available for video consultations with admitted hospital patients. This applies to both public and private admitted patients.
If my practitioner suggests a video consultation do I have a choice?
Yes. If a video consultation is suggested, you may choose a face to face consultation instead. You should discuss the benefits and risks of any treatment including video consultations with your doctors.
Can video consultations be conducted in my home?
There are Medicare items available for patient-end support services provided in the home. A video consultation can be conducted in a patient’s home if the specialist considers it is clinically appropriate and if the patient’s home is located outside an inner metropolitan area. Generally, patients will consult with specialists from general practices, eligible Aboriginal Medical Services and residential aged care facilities.
Who is able to provide video consultations?
Specialists
The video consultation can be provided by any medical practitioner who is registered or authorised to practise (as described in the
Health Insurance Act 1973), as a consultant physician, psychiatrist or specialist.
Patient-end
Your referring practitioner will discuss if you need clinical support (from either a GP, another doctor, a participating nurse practitioner, a participating midwife, an Aboriginal health worker or a practice nurse) during the video consultation.
Can I choose who will be in the room with me when I have the video consultation with the specialist?
Yes. Your referring doctor should discuss with you and the specialist whether clinical support from a doctor, nurse practitioner, participating midwife, participating practice nurse or Aboriginal health worker is required for the video consultation. If you wish to have
non clinical support (i.e. from a family member); this can also be discussed with your referring practitioner and specialist.
Are there different privacy requirements for consulting with my specialist by video conference?
The same requirements that apply to a face to face consultation will apply to a telehealth video consultation. Patients should discuss any concerns with their doctors.
Why do I have two bills for the one service?
Each doctor or other health worker involved in the video consultation will bill separately. If you have two bills, the first bill is likely to be for the specialist/consultant service and the second bill for the patient-end service.
How do I pay my specialist?
Billing arrangements for the specialist are flexible and will be negotiated between specialists and patients, or between specialists and patient-end facilities. Options could include an invoice posted to the patient, EFTPOS or credit card payment at the patient-end facility. Patient-end practitioners will generally bill as they normally bill a face-to-face consultation.