The bungles in the roll-out of a new MBS heart check item have been sorted out – except the patient rebate which for the moment will be $13 lower than it should be.

The item, officially added to the MBS on Monday, is meant to encourage GPs to perform absolute CVD risk calculations and to write management plans for patients with CV issues.

The product of a joint News Corp and Heart Foundation campaign, it has had a chaotic roll-out, with shifting messages on what assessments will be involved, how long GPs would be expected to spend with their patients and how much it would cost the government.

Because of another stuff up, for the time being Medicare will only pay $72.80, or 85% of the item’s schedule fee of $85.60, rather than a 100% of the fee like every other health assessment item.