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Rural bulk-billing eligibility set to change
Medicare billing incentives will change for GPs outside the major cities, as the DoH modifies the way it classifies rural and remote areas.
Changes are coming for rural bulk billing.
While all bulk-billed general practice services will continue to be eligible for incentives, the geographic eligibility requirements for rural-specific bulk-billing incentive items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) will change for some towns and regions.
From 1 January 2020, the Department of Health (DoH) will shift from the existing Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area (RRMA) classification system to the Modified Monash Model (MMM).
Under the coming changes, services must be provided at, or from, a practice location in a regional, rural or remote area (MMM areas 2–7) to be eligible for the bulk-billing incentive items.
A number of areas formerly considered metropolitan under RRMA classification – such as Kiama (NSW), Russell Island (Queensland), Jam Jerrup (Victoria) and Yanchep (WA) – will now be recognised as rural, giving GPs access to rural bulk-billing items.
Areas with major population growth will no longer be eligible for the incentives, including Canberra (ACT), Central Coast (NSW), Maitland (NSW), Newcastle (NSW), Sunshine Coast (Queensland), Geelong (Victoria), Mornington Peninsula (Victoria) and Mandurah (WA).
A locator map to identify a medical practices’ MMM classification is available at the Doctor Connect website.
The incentives remain the same:
Bulk-billing incentives – MMM 1 (major cities)
MBS item Fee
10990 $6.40
64990 $6.00
74990 $6.00
Rural bulk-billing incentives – MMM 2–7 (all other areas, including regional, rural and remote)
MBS item Fee
10991 $9.65
64991 $9.10
74991 $9.10
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