Significant expansion of telehealth items announced

Significant expansion of telehealth items announced

Following extensive advocacy by the College, the Commonwealth has announced whole of population telehealth for patients, general practice, primary care and other medical services to support the response to COVID-19.

Please note that additional items are expected to become available. We will work with relevant specialty bodies and the government this week to identify additional items that can be provided by telehealth.

In the meantime, telehealth consultations for the selected services below provided by specialist and consultant physicians and paediatricians will no longer be restricted to patients with COVID-19 or vulnerable patients and doctors.

The following items will now have telehealth (videoconferencing) and telephone consultation equivalents with no restriction on location, although they are still subject to a bulk billing restriction.

• 104 (Specialist. Initial attendance)
• 105 (Specialist. Subsequent attendance)
• 110 (Consultant physician. Initial attendance)
• 116 (Consultant physician. Subsequent attendance)
• 119 (Consultant physician. Minor attendance)
• 135 (Paediatrics early intervention services for children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder or disability)
• 137 (Specialist or consultant physician early intervention services for children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder or disability)
• 90261 ( Paediatrician, prepare an eating disorder treatment and management plan, more than 45 minutes)
• 90267 (Paediatrician, to review an eating disorder plan, more than 20 minutes)

 See the table below for the new item numbers.  

This is a rapidly moving area, and we expect further updates throughout the week as we continue to work with the Government on further expansion of telehealth services for physicians. 

Please continue to regularly check the MBS online webpage for more details. You will find both specialist factsheets and provider FAQs.