About the review
On 20 August 2024, the MRAC commenced a review of MBS allied health chronic disease management services. The MRAC will assess whether these services are adequately supporting patients with chronic conditions and whether individual and group MBS allied health services could be improved to better support eligible patients. MBS general practitioner planning items (including referral processes), allied health case conferencing items, and item schedule fees will not be considered in the review.
The Working Group will consider and respond to the following questions:
- What should the calendar year limit be for individual allied health services?
- Should the existing individual allied health service ‘floor’ of 20 minutes be increased? If so, what is an appropriate ‘floor’ and should this vary (e.g., longer initial consult or time-tiering)?
- Should the existing condition specific restriction on group allied health services be expanded beyond type 2 diabetes? If so, which conditions would benefit from group therapy, and which of the existing eligible individual allied health provider services are appropriate for group therapy?
- Should the list of eligible individual allied health providers be expanded? If so, which allied health professions should be added?
The Allied Health Working Group comprises a mix of MRAC members, allied health professionals, medical practitioners and consumers
| Allied Health Working Group (AHWG) members | |
|---|---|
| Member | Area of specialty or expertise |
| Associate Professor Beverley Rowbotham (Chair) | Pathology |
| Dr Jason Agostino | General Practice/Epidemiology/Indigenous Health |
| Ms Jan Donovan | Consumer Representative |
| Ms Jade Hansen | Aboriginal Health Practitioner |
| Mr Ray Kelly | Exercise Physiology |
| Professor Raghu Lingam | Paediatrics |
| Ms Alison Marcus | Consumer Representative |
| Dr Sue Masel | Rural General Practice |
| Professor Hylton Menz | Podiatry |
| Dr Andrea Mosler | Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist |
| Mr Brady Schulz | Dietitian, Sports Dietitian, Exercise Physiology |
| Ms Robyn Stephen | Paediatric Speech Pathology |
| Ms Helen Whait | Occupational Therapy |
| Departmental Officers | |
| Ms Anita Hobson-Powell | Chief Allied Health Officer, Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Associate Professor Andrew Singer | Principal Medical Adviser, Department of Health and Aged Care |
Why the review is important
To ensure allied health chronic disease management services adequately support patients with chronic conditions.
Consultation
Targeted and public consultation processes will be undertaken during the review.
To register your interest in participating in the consultation email: MRACAlliedHealth@health.gov.au
Status
The working group has been established for this review with the first meeting held on 20 November 2024 where the Terms of Reference, including the review questions, were endorsed.
It is anticipated this review will take 18 months to complete.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 20 November 2024 | First working group meeting held |
| October 2024 | The Allied Health Working Group was established |
| 20 August 2024 | The MRAC endorsed the scope of the review and establishment of a working group |
Contact
