Better health and ageing for all Australians

MBS Primary Care Items

Better Start for Children with Disability initiative

As part of the 2010 election commitment, the Prime Minister announced the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative.

In this section:

This initiative will provide $122 million over four years to ensure children with an eligible disability which affects their development, have access to intensive early intervention therapies and treatment from expert health professionals.

The Better Start for Children with Disability initiative was implemented on 1 July 2011 across the Department of Health and Ageing, and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The initiative assists children with sight and hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.

Department of Health and Ageing

From 1 July 2011, the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative provides new items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule to provide early intervention services from eligible allied health professionals (audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists) for children diagnosed with sight and hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.

Medicare items are available for:
  • Specialists, consultant physicians and general practitioners to diagnose and develop a treatment plan for children aged under 13 years;
  • audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists to provide up to four services in total per child per lifetime, to collaborate with the referring medical practitioner on the diagnosis, where required;
  • audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists to provide up to 20 early intervention treatment services in total per child per lifetime following the diagnosis of an eligible disability, and consistent with the treatment and management plan prepared by the referring medical practitioner. These services must be provided before the child’s 15th birthday, provided a disability treatment and management plan was in place before the child’s 13th birthday.
Click on the following links to find out more about how to access Medicare items under the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative:
Helping Children with Autism program