The Federal Government has apparently shelved until next year its plan to scrap the $130 MBS item for team care arrangements and equalise the rebates for writing and reviewing care plans.

The changes, announced more than a year ago, had been intended to start on 1 November and would have probably meant a reduction in the $164 rebate for writing a care plan and an increase in the $82 rebate for reviewing it.

But with just five weeks before the deadline, AusDoc has been told the reform will be shelved until 1 July next year to allow more time for discussion.

With no information from the government on what the new care plan rebates would be, both the AMA and RACGP have warned of GP concerns, particularly given the billion dollars in annual Medicare funding wrapped up in the changes.