After-hours Medicare item numbers

After-hours Medicare item numbers

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Attendance Period	Applicable Time			Items
	Monday to Friday	Saturday*	Sunday and/orpublic holiday
Urgent after-hours attendance	Between 7am – 8am and 6pm – 11pm	Between 7am – 8am and 12 noon – 11pm	Between 7am – 11pm	585, 588, 591, 594
Urgent after-hours in unsociable hours	Between 11pm – 7am	Between 11pm – 7am	Between 11pm – 7am	599, 600
Non-urgent After hours In consulting rooms	Before 8am or after 8pm	Before 8am or after 1pm	24 hours	5000, 5020, 5040, 5060, 50715200, 5203, 5207, 5208, 5209
Non-urgent after-hours at a place other than consulting rooms (other than a hospital or Residential Aged Care Facility)	Before 8am or after 6pm	Before 8am or after 12 noon	24 hours	5003, 5023, 5043, 5063, 50765220, 5223, 5227, 5228, 5261
Non-urgent after-hours in a Residential Aged Care Facility	Before 8am or after 6pm	Before 8am or after 12 noon	24 hours	5010, 5028, 5049, 5067, 5077 5260, 5262, 5263, 5265, 5267

After-Hours Attendances (AN.0.19)

Last reviewed: 1 November 2023

✅ Key Categories

1. Urgent After-Hours Attendances
   (Items 585, 588, 591, 594, 599, 600)
2. Non-Urgent After-Hours Attendances
   • In consulting rooms
     (Items 5000, 5020, 5040, 5060, 5071, 5200, 5203, 5207, 5208, 5209)
   • At other locations
     (Items 5003, 5023, 5043, 5063, 5076, 5220, 5223, 5227, 5228, 5261)
   • In residential aged care facilities
     (Items 5010, 5028, 5049, 5067, 5077, 5260, 5262, 5263, 5265, 5267)

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✅ Time Eligibility for Claims

Item Type	Time Windows
Items 585, 588, 591, 594, 599, 600 (Urgent)	– Public holiday – Sunday – Before 8am or after 12pm Saturday – Before 8am or after 6pm other days
Items 5000–5071, 5200–5209 (Non-Urgent, Consulting Rooms)	– Public holiday – Sunday – Before 8am or after 1pm Saturday – Before 8am or after 8pm other days
Items 5003–5267 (Non-Urgent, Other Locations & Aged Care)	Same as Urgent: – Public holiday – Sunday – Before 8am or after 12pm Saturday – Before 8am or after 6pm other days

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✅ Urgent After-Hours Attendance Rules

• Must be requested during same urgent after-hours period.
• Patient must need urgent assessment that cannot wait.
• Doctor may rely on information from carers, emergency staff, or others.
• Record of the assessment must be documented.
• Doctor must attend at patient’s location or reopen practice.
• Items 599 & 600 apply between 11pm and 7am.

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✅ Billing Notes (Urgent Items)

Item	Who Can Bill?
585	Vocationally registered GPs, FRACGP, FACRRM, GP registrars, certain approved GPs in full-time practice.
588	Non-VR GPs in MM2-MM7 locations.
591	Non-VR GPs in MM1 areas.
594	For second & subsequent patients at same visit using 585/588/591.
599	Same as 585 plus non-VR GPs under AHOMPs program.
600	Available to non-VR GPs.

• Doctors routinely offering after-hours consulting-room services cannot use urgent after-hours items.
• ‘Routine’ means habitual after-hours services, not occasional on-call.

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✅ Non-Urgent After-Hours Attendances

• Used for non-urgent consultations during allowed after-hours periods:
  • At consulting rooms
  • At other locations (including homes but not hospitals or aged care)
  • In aged care facilities