Medicare Telehealth funding changes from 1 January 

Recent changes to the Medicare Telehealth item numbers are significant for rural patients as they are likely to directly impact affordable care and immediately reduce regional, rural and remote service delivery. The changes, only announced by the Federal Government last week, will be effective from 1 January 2021.

The changes include:

• Funding for patient end services will cease for GPs, OMP, Nurse Practitioners and Midwives, but will continue for practice nurses and AHW
• Non-GP Specialists: 
  • Initial and complex consults will be funded for in-person and video consultations
  • Less complex and shorter consultations will be funded for in-person, video and phone 
  • Telehealth for admitted patients, introduced in September 2021 will cease 
  • The older telehealth items introduced in 2002 and 2012 for Specialists will be discontinued 

• A new item for GPs for 20+ minute telephone consultation for doctors working in MM6 and 7. 

For more information visit the Federal Government website. 

If you have any questions you can also contact the ACRRM Digital Health Team at ehealth@acrrm.org.au, who will return to the office on 4 January 2022.