About the review
On 20 August 2024, the MRAC commenced a review of MBS referred chronic condition management services. These include allied health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care professional services for patients with a GP chronic condition management plan. The MRAC will assess whether these services are adequately supporting patients with chronic conditions and whether individual and group MBS services could be improved to better support eligible patients.
The MBS GP planning items (including referral processes), case conferencing items, and item schedule fees will not be considered in the review.
An MRAC Working Group is considering the following questions:
- What should the calendar year limit be for individual chronic condition management services?
- Should the existing individual chronic condition management 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 services be expanded beyond type 2 diabetes? If so, which conditions would benefit from group services, and which of the existing eligible individual health provider services are appropriate for group settings?
- Should the list of eligible individual health providers be expanded? If so, which health professions should be added?
The Working Group comprises a mix of MRAC members, allied health professionals, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner, medical practitioners and consumers.
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 chronic condition 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 established for this review held its first meeting on 20 November 2024 at which the Terms of Reference and review questions were endorsed. The working group has met 5 times to date.
It is anticipated this review will take approximately 18 months to complete.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 20 November 2025 | Fifth working group meeting held |
| 8 May 2025 | Fourth working group meeting held |
| 2 April 2025 | Third working group meeting held |
| 4 February 2025 | Second working group meeting held |
| 20 November 2024 | First working group meeting held |
| October 2024 | The Working Group was established |
| 20 August 2024 | The MRAC endorsed the scope of the review and establishment of a working group |
Contact
