Are you working in a drought declared area? Six new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items were recently introduced to enable GPs and non-specialist medical practitioners to provide general mental health and well-being support services by video conference to patients in drought-affected areas.

For GPs; MBS items 2121, 2150 and 2196 may be used when providing a mental health consultation using video conferencing direct to a patient (with mental health issues).

The GP needs to be working in an area belonging to the declared councils under the Drought Communities Programme (DCP) in a Modified Monash Model (MMM) area 3 to 7.

The patient will need to be at least 15 minutes by road from the GP and there needs to be an existing relationship between the GP and the patient.

For example: If you are working in Winton (VIC) which is an area belonging to a declared council under the DCP and in MMM area 7, a medical practitioner practicing in this area would be eligible to bill items 2121, 2150 or 2196 for a mental health consultation using video conferencing. If you work in Albany (WA) which is a MMM 3 area and not a declared council under the DCP you do not meet the requirements for MBS items 2121, 2150 and 2196.

The Mental Health and Well-Being Telehealth Support items replicate the requirements and MBS rebates for the current Level B to D general attendance items for services in consulting rooms that are available to GPs and non-specialist medical practitioners.

The items also align with the existing MBS arrangements for video conference services, including the requirement that, at the time of the attendance, the patient must be at least 15 kilometres by road from the doctor providing the service.

The ACRRM telehealth provider directory allows individuals and organisations to register their telehealth service for free, so referring services and patients can seek a consultation using video conference.

MBS items 894, 896 and 898 are for use by non-specialist medical practitioners.

For more information visit MBS Online or contact the ACRRM eHealth team ehealth@acrrm.org.au