The 1 July 2026 MBS files are available on the July 2026 Downloads Page.
Summary of Changes for 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, there will be changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) to implement a range of administrative and policy changes, including the Australian Government’s response to recommendations for the MBS Review Taskforce (the Taskforce) and the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC). The changes are in line with the following legislation:
- Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations (No. 2) 2020;
- Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021;
- Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulations 2020;
- Health Insurance Regulations 2018; and
- Determinations made under section 3C of the Health Insurance Act 1973.
Indexation
From 1 July 2026, annual fee
indexation will be applied to:
- most of the general medical services items, except certain attendance items by doctors without vocational training;
- most diagnostic imaging services (excluding: positron emission tomography (PET) items and nuclear medicine modifier items), except positron emission tomography items in Group I4 (Subgroup 2) and nuclear medicine modifier items in Group I4 (Subgroup 3); and
- pathology items in Group P1, Group P4, Group P5, Group P6, Group P8 and Group P12.
New sleep study items
From 1 July 2026, two new paediatric sleep study items will be introduced to the MBS for Level 2 polysomnography out-of-laboratory sleep studies for the investigation of sleep disordered breathing in children aged between 3 and 11 years and adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. As part of this change, consequential amendments will be made to existing MBS items to clarify co-claiming restrictions for relevant services.
Other changes relating to general medical services
From 1 July 2026, changes will be made relating to general medical services. This includes:
- amending burn wound closure items to allow for treatment with autologous skin cell suspension and to account for treatment involving multiple surgeons;
- amending item 15944 to allow treatment of up to two tumour sites per day;
- amending item 32150 to remove reference to injection with botulinum toxin;
- amending items 45888, 45939 and 45891 to include indication for anaesthesia and use of an assistant;
- clarifying the frequency restrictions for items 50200 and 50201 and amend frequency restriction for item 15944 to allow for treatment of up to two tumour sites per day;
- amending item 45761 to include the indication that the deformity is the result of a diagnosed craniofacial disorder;
- amending colonoscopy item 32222 by removing the positive faecal occult blood test indication and making it into a new standalone item 32119, and amend colonoscopy item 32150 to remove reference to injection with botulinum toxin;
- amending burn wound closure items to include the option of treatment using autologous skin cell suspension, and to account for treatment involving multiple surgeons;
- introducing new items 45070, 45071 and 45072 for developmental breast abnormalities; and
- expanding item 55133 to include the monitoring of patients taking cardiac Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS) listed medicines that have cardiotoxic side effects.
Changes relating to diagnostic imaging services
From 1 July 2026, changes will be made relating to diagnostic imaging services. This includes:
- removing restrictions on claiming breast ultrasound items with chest or abdominal wall ultrasound item 55812 and breast magnetic resonance imaging item 63464, and removing the multiple services rule when breast imaging items apply together; and
- increasing schedule fees for nuclear medicine imaging items that use gallium-67 or thallium-201.
Changes relating to pathology services
From 1 July 2026, changes will be made relating to pathology services. This includes:
- introducing new item 73400 for human leukocyte antigen testing to determine a patient’s risk of hypersensitivity to carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine;
- amending item 65150 for quantitation of von Willebrand factor antigen and activity to include qualitative testing and remove reference to specific test methodology;
- amending hepatitis C testing item 69499 to remove the requirement for two different serology tests to have been completed before the service can be performed; and
- introducing new item 73329 for multi-gene panel test of tumour tissue to detect IDH1 gene variant and FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement status for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), for the purpose of determining eligibility for a relevant treatment under the PBS.
Please note links will be added as they become available on the Federal Register of Legislation.
- Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026
- Health Insurance (Section 3C Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Services) Amendment (Management of Labour by a Midwife) Determination 2026
- Health Insurance (Section 4BA - Pathologist-Determinable Services) Amendment (ribonucleic acid testing for hepatitis C) Determination 2026
- Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Repeal (Nuclear Medicine Imaging Services) Determination 2026
- Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Indexation) Determination 2026
- Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Listing of Futibatinib) Determination 2026