Patients living in locations MMM 6 or 7 can access new Medicare items numbers for GP to patient video consultations from 1 Nov 2019. The 12 new items will be introduced to the MBS - four items for GPs and eight items for non-specialist medical practitioners. There is no restriction on the geographic location of the doctor.

To be eligible, the patient must have received three face-to-face professional attendances in the preceding 12 months from the doctor who will provide the telehealth service. The service must have both an audio and a video component. These Item numbers do not cover a service provided by telephone only.

The College and RDAA will continue to work with the Department of Health for continued appropriate renumeration of telehealth consultations including those by phone and for rural and remote patients in other parts of Australia

For more information on the item numbers, go to the MBS Online website.

Telehealth support is available from ehealth@acrrm.org.au and training and implementation resources can be found at www.ehealth.acrrm.org.au