Changes to Medicare Services Effective January 1, 2024
1. Smoking Cessation Support:
- Support for quitting smoking will no longer be available after December 31, 2023.
- Patients can still seek help through regular doctor visits or telehealth consultations, but a face-to-face visit within the past year is required for online appointments regarding smoking cessation.
2. Continued COVID-19 Measures:
- Prescription of COVID-19 medication over the phone (MBS item 93716) will continue.
- Exemption from the requirement of a prior clinical relationship for telehealth consultations will be extended until June 30, 2024, for:
- Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past seven days.
- Individuals meeting PBS criteria for COVID-19 antiviral therapy and seeking a PCR test for COVID-19.
3. New Exemption for Urgent Care Clinics:
- Selected telehealth services provided at eligible urgent care clinics will not require a prior clinical relationship with the patient.
- This exemption applies to specified telehealth services at designated clinics in Broome, Western Australia, and Devonport, Tasmania.
4. Extension of Pregnancy Support and Sexual Health Services:
- Telehealth services for pregnancy support and sexual or reproductive health will continue in 2024.
5. Expansion of Telehealth Services to Hospital Outpatients:
- Patients can now receive relevant telehealth services in outpatient hospital settings.
- Amendments to legislation will facilitate telehealth services for outpatient hospital settings, covering 85% of the schedule fee.
6. Increases to Medicare Safety Net Thresholds:
- Effective January 1, the Original Medicare Safety Net (OMSN) threshold will increase to $560.40.
- The Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) threshold will increase for both concessional and non-concessional individuals and families.
- Once expenses reach the OMSN threshold, Medicare will reimburse 100% of the schedule fee, improving affordability.
- For expenses beyond the EMSN threshold, Medicare will cover up to 80% of further out-of-pocket expenses for out-of-hospital medical services.
Always check item descriptors with MBS.
