The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) is a listing of the Medicare services subsidised by the Australian Government. The schedule is part of the wider Medicare Benefits Scheme managed by the Department of Health and Aging and administered by Medicare Australia.
Each professional service (which includes services relating to General Practice) in the MBS is allocated a unique Medicare item number which acts as a reference for the service being provided with relation to the Schedule fee for service and the Medicare benefit.
In addition to services that can be provided and claimed under the MBS, a range of Practice Incentive Payments (PIP) and Service Incentives Payments (SIP) are also available as part of a blended payment approach for General Practice.
The Practice Incentives Program aims to recognise general practices that provide comprehensive, quality care and which are either accredited, or working towards accreditation against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practices.
The Service Incentives Program provides payments which aim to encourage a systematic approach to best practice systems of care for patients with diabetes and asthma as well as for the prevention of disease through immunisation and cervical screening (Pap tests).
Details on these payments and incentives can be accessed below.
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Cervical Screening
- Practice Nurses
- Immunisation
- Information Management
- After Hours Care
- Quality Prescribing
- Teaching
- Mental Health
- Chronic Disease