Telehealth MBS items

Make sure you read the relevant item descriptions, fact sheets and explanatory notes for Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) telehealth services on the MBS Online website.

Telehealth MBS items provide Medicare benefits for services provided by video conferencing.

Telehealth services are the preferred alternative to face-to-face consultations. However, you can provide some services by phone if telehealth isn’t available. Telehealth and phone services have separate MBS item numbers.

MBS telehealth video and phone services introduced on a temporary basis in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are now permanent. Most of these items don’t have geographic limitations.

You can’t claim telehealth attendance items for services provided to admitted hospital and hospital in-the-home patients.

Telehealth MBS items can’t be used for email consultations.

Contact us for Medicare provider enquiries.

Better Access initiative - supporting mental health care

Telehealth for eligible practitioners

You can use these telehealth items if you’re working in general practice.

Under Better Access, you can provide and claim for the services in this table.

Telehealth for Better Access services for family and carer participation

Additional MBS items allow eligible general practitioners (GPs), non-vocationally registered medical practitioners (non-VR), clinical psychologists, psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers to deliver up to 2 Better Access services per calendar year. This table includes telehealth video and phone items.

Telehealth for allied health

The following health professionals can use these items:

• psychologists
• clinical psychologists
• occupational therapists
• social workers.

These items are standalone and don’t have a fee loading structure.

You can deliver all 10 services by telehealth.

Group therapy services involving 4 to 10 patients can be delivered by telehealth for:

• psychological therapy with a clinical psychologist
• FPS with a psychologist, occupational therapist or social worker.

Your patients must:

• have both a visual and audio link with you
• be located in an area within Modified Monash regions 4-7
• be located at least 15 km by road from you at the time of consultation.

Find out more about continuing MBS telehealth services for Mental Health on the MBS Online website.

Eating disorder treatment and management plans

You can claim the following telehealth items for eating disorder plans.

Telehealth items for general and medical practitioners

This table shows eating disorder plan telehealth items for general and medical practitioners.

To claim these telehealth items you must be registered with Medicare to provide focused psychological strategies (FPS).

Telehealth items for psychiatrist and paediatrician

This table shows eating disorder plan telehealth items for psychiatrists and paediatricians.

Telehealth items for allied health professional

This table shows eating disorder plan telehealth items for allied health professionals.

Medicare telehealth services for eligible midwives

You may be eligible to bill an MBS item for telehealth and telephone services you provide.

There are requirements you must meet to bill these items.

If you provide antenatal and postnatal services to a patient, you can bill the following MBS items if relevant:

Find out more about continuing MBS telehealth services for participating midwives on the MBS Online website.

Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders and eligible disabilities

You may be able to bill an MBS item for telehealth for assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

Telehealth items for medical practitioners

This table shows Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders and eligible disabilities telehealth items for medical practitioners.

Telehealth items for allied health professionals

This table shows Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders and eligible disabilities telehealth items for allied health professionals.

Find out more about continuing MBS telehealth services for Allied Health on the MBS Online website.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner and Aboriginal health worker

You can use the following telehealth items if you’re an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner or Aboriginal health worker.

If you perform these services on behalf of a supervising medical practitioner, you can bill these items using the medical practitioner’s provider number. These items don’t apply for patients admitted to hospital unless noted otherwise.