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Details of permanent telehealth arrangements published
The fact sheets for ongoing MBS telehealth have now been released, with the changes to come into effect from the beginning of 2022.
A new ‘30/20’ rule will be introduced for GP telephone services.
Full details of the permanent telehealth arrangements announced earlier this week have now been published by the Department of Health (DoH).
The fact sheets, available on the DoH’s MBS Online website, include permanent MBS item numbers that will allow telehealth services – initially fast-tracked in response to the pandemic – to continue indefinitely. The new arrangement comes into effect from 1 January, 2022.
A number of changes have been flagged, including:
- an extended phone consultation item for 20 minutes or more has been resinstated for patients in rural and remote communities (Modified Monash 6 and 7 regions)
- COVID-19 GP ‘hotspot’ telephone items for consultations longer than 20 minutes will stop
- patients isolating or in quarantine due to COVID-19 public health orders will have unrestricted access to telehealth and will not need to demonstrate an established clinical relationship with their telehealth provider
- specific GP nicotine and smoking cessation services including telehealth have been extended until 31 December 2023. These services do not require an established clinical relationship when provided by telehealth
- GP sexual and reproductive health services and non-directive pregnancy support counselling will now continue until 30 June 2023. Again, no established clinical relationship will be required.
Apart from limited exceptions, GPs and other medical professionals (OMPs) working in general practice will only be able to use telehealth for patients with whom they have an existing clinical relationship.
As announced on Monday, MBS telehealth items will also now contribute to
Standardised Whole Patient Equivalent (SWPE) calculations,
another move the college had sought. These will be used to work out Practice Incentives Program (PIP) and the Workforce Incentive Program – Practice Stream (WIP) payments.
There are also updated Medicare compliance rules to include telephone and video services following the established
80/20 rule, with a new ‘30/20’ rule to be introduced for GP telephone services.
Telehealth items that existed before the pandemic will be removed to avoid duplication. These include pre-COVID items for GP and OMP mental health consultations and general attendances by video. GP and OMP patient-end support items linked to pre-COVID medical specialist and consultant physician telehealth services are also being removed.
Confirmation of telehealth’s permanent place in the healthcare system was welcomed by RACGP president Dr Karen Price earlier this week, following extensive advocacy from the college. Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said that over the next four years $106 million of Federal Government funding will be set aside to facilitate telehealth’s introduction on a permanent basis.
Mor information on the incoming telehealth changes is available on the RACGP website.
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