Indigenous doctors, nurses and other health professionals would receive loadings on all MBS items under a plan discussed by the MBS Review Taskforce.

The task force’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health reference group backed away from including the policy idea as part of its formal recommendations on modernising the Medicare schedule.

But in its draft report released this week, it said the move would remunerate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals for their “cultural capability” in delivering appropriate care to Indigenous patients — while also guiding non-Indigenous health professionals in the provision of culturally appropriate care.

The report stressed that adding MBS “loading factors” to items would act as an incentive for organisations to train and hire more Indigenous staff.