Medicare rejects doctors’ anatomical arguments over disputed MBS item
It comes after three skin cancer doctors were told to repay $1.2 million in Medicare rebates after inappropriately using item 18234
Skin cancer doctors have lost a human anatomy battle with Medicare, after it ignored arguments that the infraorbital nerve is a primary branch of the trigeminal nerve.
The debate originally began three years ago after three skin cancer doctors were investigated by the PSR for claiming item 18234 alongside items for skin excisions and GP attendances.
The Skin Cancer College Australasia said the doctors were billing the item, which has a rebate of $110, for infraorbital nerve blocks during procedures to remove skin cancers on patient’s faces.
At the time, the item’s descriptor said it was for “injection of an anaesthetic agent into a primary division of the trigeminal nerve”.
