Proposed Medicare items for surveillance colonoscopies are too strict and could lead to the suboptimal treatment of 10% of patients, the AMA has warned.

The MBS Review Taskforce has recommended a new set of five items — all worth $334.35 — that would restrict funding for screening colonoscopies when not based on a positive FOBT result.

The task force says the restrictions are necessary to cut overservicing and reflect surveillance colonoscopy guidelines approved by the NHMRC last year.

If the Federal Government accepts the recommendations, Medicare will only fund a colonoscopy once every five years for patients without a positive FOBT results and only a moderate family history risk.