Article

AMA Member Survey - GP Consultation Item Remodelling Options

Published 8 February 2023

Please use the information below to help inform your answers to survey Question 1 regarding GP Attendance items. You can access the survey by clicking HERE

Overview: We are asking for your input to your AMA advocacy regarding GP consultation items (23, 36, 44 etc). We hear the challenges with current attendance items and want to know what model you would prefer to be working with into the future. This is not about specific rebate amounts, though some indicative figures are included below for illustrative purposes. Rest assured, we understand that current rebates do not provide patients with adequate funding for high quality care and will continue to fight for fair patient rebates and adequate indexation of the MBS.

When considering these proposals, please note that history shows that more complex changes have proven more difficult to achieve and generally take longer to implement.

Options A and B are relatively simple solutions to the undervaluing of GP items and the bias towards short consultations.

Option C is a more complex restructure and more expensive but offers the potential of better removing the barriers to delivering longer consultations/more complex care.

There is also an Option D - “None of the above”.

At the end of the survey, question 4 is a free-text section to share your comments. You can use this to provide us with more detailed feedback on why you prefer Options A, B, C or D, or any alternative models you’d prefer.

OPTION A - ‘Extended’ Level B – a new attendance item for consultations between 15-19 minutes

 

Option A

 

Rationale: GPs and patients would be better compensated for longer consultations at the Level B level of complexity. The rebate for the “Extended” Level B item would ideally be set at somewhere between the current Level B and C rebates. Minimal change to current structure.

OPTION B - 20% increase to current level C and D rebates only

Rationale: Increasing rebates for Level C and D consults will partially redress the current “skew” towards proportionally higher rebates for shorter consultation items, while maintaining minimal change to the current schedule. Your AMA would continue to fight for appropriate indexation to protect rebates into the future.

OPTION C - Restructure all item duration tiers to better incentivise quality care/longer consultations

Option C

 Level                            

Proposed time 

 MBS Fee to rebalance schedule (indicative only)                       

A

0 to 5 minutes                             

$18.20 (as it is now – i.e $3.64 per minute)

B

5 to less than 15 mins

$54.60 ($3.64 per minute)

C

15 to less than 25 mins

$88.72 ($3.64 per minute less 2.5%)

D

25 to less than 35 mins

$121.03 ($3.64 per minute less 5%)

E

35 to less than 45 mins

$151.51 ($3.64 per minute less 7.5%)

F

45+ mins

$180.20 ($3.64 per minute less 10%)

 

Rationale: This option aims to smooth the patient rebate across consultation durations and remove the skew to shorter consultations through a major restructure of the MBS time tiers.

Note: the rebates noted in the explanatory material are indicative only, and the minimum calculated to rebalance the MBS to fairly remove the bias towards shorter consultations based on the current MBS schedule. They do not necessarily represent full and fair payment for any consultation. You can indicate any alternative time interval/rebate scheme you would prefer in the comments section at Q.4

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY