Changes to MBS Chronic Disease Management Arrangements to come in November
2 Sep 2024
For the first time since 2005, The Department of Health and Aged Care has announced changes to MBS Chronic Disease Management Arrangements.
These changes were announced in the 2024–25 Budget and are being implemented to help ensure:
- arrangements can be simplified, streamlined, and modernised for health care professionals and patients
- continuity of care is promoted
- regular reviews of chronic condition management plans are encouraged
- communication between a patient’s multidisciplinary care team is supported, and
- existing patients can continue to access the care they need.
From 1 November 2024, MBS items will be changing to:
- replace the current GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements with a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan
- support continuity of care by requiring patients enrolled in MyMedicare to access management plans through the practice where they are enrolled. Patients who aren’t enrolled will be able to access management plans through their usual GP
- encourage management plan reviews by:
- equalising the fees for developing and reviewing plans
- requiring patients to have their plan established or reviewed in the last 18 months so they can retain access to allied health and other services
- formalise referral processes for allied health services so they are more consistent with other referral arrangements
- ensure patients do not lose access to their current services through transition arrangements for existing patients with GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements.
Recommended by the MBS Review Taskforce, these updates are ‘the first major change to the framework in almost 20 years’.
As per this article from Primary Health Network, chronic conditions management activities make up a substantial proportion of general practice activity with 2022 -23 data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare identifying that:
- 60% of people (10.2 million) who visited a general practitioner (GP) in the last 12 months had a long-term health condition, and
- Almost 1 in 6 (16%; 4.1 million) Australians claimed a Chronic Disease Management service.
Impact on podiatrists
As of now, there is no apparent impact on podiatrists. Starting from 1 November 2024, these changes will primarily focus on general practitioners involved in managing chronic conditions.
The APodA will continue to provide updates on these changes as they unfold.
Further information for APodA members
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