News

The Department of Health and Aged Care has announced major changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for chronic disease management from 1 November 2024.

The changes recommended by the MBS Review Taskforce, are ‘the first major change to the framework in almost 20 years’ and include:

• Replacing the current GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements with a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan
• Supporting continuity of care by requiring patients enrolled in MyMedicare to access management plans through the practice where they are enrolled (patients who aren’t enrolled will be able to access management plans through their usual GP).
• Encouraging management plan reviews by:
  • equalising the fees for developing and reviewing plans
  • requiring patients to have their plan established or reviewed in the last 18 months so they can retain access to allied health and other services.
• Formalising referral processes for allied health services so they are more consistent with other referral arrangements.

Chronic conditions management activities make up a substantial proportion of general practice activity with 2022 -23 data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare identifying that:

• 60% of people (10.2 million) who visited a general practitioner (GP) in the last 12 months had a long-term health condition, and
• Almost 1 in 6 (16%; 4.1 million) Australians claimed a Chronic Disease Management service.

There are several steps your practice can take to prepare for these changes before 1 November:

1. Discuss what these changes mean with your practice team and identify any activities or processes you need to review or update.
2. Register your practice for MyMedicare if you have not done so already.
3. Engage your patients to encourage them to register with your practice, particularly those with a chronic condition or existing care plan.

Western NSW PHN will keep you updated with more information about these changes as it is released. Please contact us Practicedevelopmentteam@wnswphn.org.au for information and support.

Patient information about MyMedicare
To inform patients and their carers about MyMedicare the resources below can help explain the benefits and what it means for them.

Patient Brochures
mymedicare-dl-brochure.pdf (health.gov.au)

Patient Videos
Introducing MyMedicare | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Registering in MyMedicare | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

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