The new $191 level E consult is ‘no quick fix’ for complex care, says top GP
Associate Professor Caroline Johnson says time-tiered items have underlying problems.
The RACGP and AMA finally won their battle for a level E consultation item on Medicare this year after many years of fighting.
Alongside higher bulk-billing incentives, the RACGP dubbed the budget moves “game changing” for general practice ahead of their 1 November start date.
The budget set aside $98 million over four years for consultations lasting more than an hour, which suggests the Federal Government expects around 130,000 claims per year, based on the $191.20 rebate.
This compares with the 1.6 million claims for MBS item 44 — the face-to-face level D consult — billed in 2022/23.
