AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973

Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Remote Vocational Training Scheme Extended Targeted Recruitment Pilot) Direction (No. 2) 2021

I, Louise Morgan, Acting Assistant Secretary, Medical Benefits Division, Health Resourcing Group, delegate for the Minister for Health, acting under subsection 19(2) of the Health Insurance Act 1973, hereby:

REVOKE the Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Remote Vocational Training Scheme Extended Targeted Recruitment Pilot) Direction 2021, dated 21 January 2021; and

2. DIRECT that Medicare Benefits shall be payable in respect of:

(a) A professional service (as defined in Section 3 of the Health Insurance Act 1973) which has been agreed to be provided under the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) Extended Targeted Recruitment Pilot between the Department of Health (ABN: 24 004 196 909) and the Remote Vocational Training Scheme Limited (ABN: 99 122 891 838) in relation to the remote general practice innovative employment model trial for which;

(i) items specified in Schedule A of this Direction; and of the general medical services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973), diagnostic imaging services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4AA(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973) and pathology services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4A(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973) relates: and

(b) Where the professional service is provided to:

(i) an eligible person (as defined in Section 3 of the Health Insurance Act 1973); and

(ii) a patient who is not part of an episode of hospital treatment (as defined in Section 121-5 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007); and

(i) at a general practice (as defined in Section 7.1.1 of the general medical services table); and

(ii) at a rural or remote practice location specified in Schedule B in Modified Monash Model 4-7 (as defined in Section 7.1.1 of the general medical services table); and

(iii) by a participating remote general practice trainee mentioned in (a):

who is formally enrolled in the Remote Vocational Training Scheme training towards GP fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine; and
who has been employed, with a salary, in one of the ten RVTS extended targeted-recruitment training posts for appropriate primary care attendance; and
is registered in the RVTS Extended Targeted Recruitment Pilot.

DECLARED that this Direction shall have effect from the date of signature until
31 December 2022 inclusive unless earlier revoked.

Date this 27th day of August 2021

Louise Morgan

Acting Assistant Secretary

MBS Policy and Specialist Services Branch

Medical Benefits Division

Health Resourcing Group

Department of Health

SCHEDULE A

MEDICARE BENEFITS SCHEDULE ITEMS AS AGREED under the remote vocational training scheme (rvts) extended targeted recruitment pilot

For services listed in the below tables, all provisions of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) and regulations made under the Act, and the National Health Act 1953 and regulations made under the National Health Act 1953, relating to medical services, professional services or items apply.

General Medical Services Table

Group	Group Name	Subgroup	Subgroup Name
A1	General practitioner attendances to which no other item applies
A2	Other non-referred attendances to which no other item applies
A5	Prolonged attendances to which no other item applies
A6	Group therapy
A7	Acupuncture and non-specialist practitioner items	All
A11	Urgent attendances after-hours
A14	Health assessments
A15	GP Management plans, team care arrangements and multidisciplinary care plans and case	1	GP Management plans, team care arrangements and multidisciplinary care plans
A15		2	Case conferences
A17	Domiciliary and residential medication management reviews
A18	Attendances associated with Practice Incentive Program payments	All
A19	Attendances associated with Practice Incentive Program payments	All
A20	Mental health Care	All
A22	General practitioner after-hours attendances to which no other item applies
A23	Other non-referred after-hour attendances to which no other item applies
A27	Pregnancy support counselling
A29	Early intervention services for children with autism, pervasive development disorder or disability
A30	Medical practitioner video conferencing consultation	1	Video conferencing consultation attendance at consulting rooms, home visit of other institution
		2	Video conferencing consultation attendance at a residential aged care facility
		3	Mental health and well-being video conferencing consultation
		5	General practitioner video conferencing consultation attendance for patients in rural and remote areas
		6	Other non-referred video conferencing consultation attendance for patients in rural and remote areas
		7	Non-specialist practitioner video conferencing consultation for patients in rural and remote areas
A35	Non-referred attendance at a residential aged care facility
A36	Eating Disorder Services	1	GP and Medical Practitioner eating disorder treatment and management plans
		3	Review of eating disorder treatment and management plan
		4	GP and medical practitioner eating disorder s psychological treatment services
A39	Bushfire Recovery Access Initiative – GP and Medical Practitioner Focussed Psychological Strategies
A40	COVID-19 Services	1	COVID-19 general practice - telehealth services
		2	COVID-19 general practice - phone services
		3	COVID-19 Focussed psychological strategies - telehealth services
		10	COVID-19 Focussed psychological strategies - phone services
		11	Health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People - telehealth services
		12	Health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People - phone Services
		13	GP management plans, team care arrangements and multidisciplinary care plans via telehealth attendance
		14	GP management plans, team care arrangements and multidisciplinary care plans via phone attendance
		15	GP pregnancy support counselling - telehealth services
		16	GP pregnancy support counselling - phone services
		17	GP, Specialist and Consultant Physician autism service - telehealth services
		18	GP, Specialist and Consultant Physician autism service - phone services
		19	GP mental health treatment plan - telehealth services
		20	GP mental health treatment plan - phone services
		21	GP Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan – telehealth services
		22	GP Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plans - phone services
		25	Review of an eating disorder Plan - telehealth services
		26	Review of an Eating Disorder Plan – phone services
		27	GP - Eating Disorder Focussed Psychological Strategies – telehealth services
		28	GP - Eating Disorder Focussed Psychological Strategies – phone services
		29	GP and Other Medical Practitioner - urgent after hours service in unsociable hours - telehealth services
		30	GP and Other Medical Practitioner - urgent after hours service in unsociable hours - phone services
A41	Additional focussed psychological strategies	1	GP additional focussed psychological strategies
A41	Additional focussed psychological strategies	2	Non specialist practitioner addition focussed psychological strategies
M1	Management of bulk billed services
D1	Miscellaneous diagnostic procedures and investigations	2	Ophthalmology
		3	Otolaryngology
		4	Respiratory
		5	Vascular
		6	Cardiovascular
		8	Genito-urinary physiological investigations
		9	Allergy testing
		10	Other diagnostic procedures and investigations
D2	Nuclear Medicine (non-imaging)
T1	Miscellaneous therapeutic procedures	2	Dialysis
		4	Paediatric and neonatal
		5	Cardiovascular
		8	Haematology
		9	Procedures associated with intensive care and cardiopulmonary support
		11	Chemotherapeutic procedures
		13	Miscellaneous therapeutic procedures
T2	Radiation oncology	1	Superficial
T3	Therapeutic nuclear medicine
T4	Obstetrics
T6	Examination by anaesthetist
T7	Regional or field nerve blocks
T8	Surgical Operations	1	General
		2	Colorectal
		3	Vascular
		4	Ear, nose and throat
		5	Urological
		6	Cardio-thoracic
		7	Neurosurgical
		8	Ear, nose and throat
		9	Ophthalmology
		11	Paediatric
		12	Amputations
		13	Plastic and reconstructive surgery
		14	Hand surgery
		15	Orthopaedic
T9	Assistance at operations
T10	Anaesthesia performed in connect with certain services (relative value guide)	All

Diagnostic Imaging Services Table

Group	Group Name	Subgroup	Subgroup Name
I1	Ultrasound	6	Musculoskeletal ultrasound
I3	Diagnostic Radiology	1	Radiographic examination of extremities
		2	Radiographic examination of shoulder or pelvis
		3	Radiographic examination of head
		4	Radiographic examination of spine
		5	Cardiovascular
		6	Radiographic examination of thoracic region
		7	Radiographic examination of urinary tract
		8	Radiographic examination of alimentary tract and biliary system
		12	Radiographic examination with opaque or contrast media
I6	Management of bulk billed Services

Pathology Services Table

Group	Group Name
P1	Haematology
P2	Chemical
P9	Simple Basic Pathology Tests
P12	Management of bulk billed services

SCHEDULE B

Approved Modified Monash 4-7 rural and remote Practice Locations AS AGREED under the remote vocational training scheme (rvts) extended targeted recruitment pilot

Approved primary care Modified Monash Model (MMM) 5 locations:

MMM 5 location	Practice Name	Street Address	Sponsor
Smithton	Ochre Medical Centre Smithton	14 King St, Smithton TAS 7330	Tasmanian Department of Health and Health Recruitment Plus
Robinvale	Robinvale District Medical Centre	39 Latje Road, Robinvale, VIC 3549	Rural Workforce Agency Victoria

Approved primary care Modified Monash Model (MMM) 6 locations:

MMM 6 location	Practice Name	Street Address	Sponsor
Cobar	Cobar Primary Health Care Centre	26 Harcourt St, Cobar NSW 2835	New South Wales Rural Doctors Network
Lake Cargelligo	Lake Cargelligo Family Practice	Cnr Bridge & Canada Street Lake Cargelligo NSW 2672	New South Wales Rural Doctors Network
Clermont	Clermont Country Practice	38 Jellicoe St, Clermont, QLD 4721	Health Workforce Queensland and Central Queensland Rural Health
Mount Isa*	Gidgee Healing (2 locations)	8 Burke Street and 121 Marion Street, Mount Isa, QLD 4825	Health Workforce Queensland
Cleve, Kimba, Elliston & Cowell	Mid Eyre Medical Service (6 locations)	15 Main Street, Cleve, SA 5640 North Terrace, Cleve, SA 5640 13-15 Martin Terrace, Kimba, SA 5641 34 Park Terrace, Kimba, SA 5641 Memorial Drive, Elliston, SA 5670 17 South Terrace, Cowell, SA 5602	Eyre and Far North Local Health Network and South Australia Health

Approved primary care Modified Monash Model (MMM) 7 locations:

MMM 7 location	Practice Name	Street Address	Sponsor
Badu Island	Badu Island Primary Health Care Centre	181 Tamwoy Street, Badu Island, QLD 4875	Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service
Streaky Bay	The Streaky Bay and District Medical Clinic Incorporated	Community Services Building, 1 Flinders Drive, Streaky Bay, SA 5680	Eyre & Far North Local Health and South Australia Health
Fitzroy Crossing	Fitzroy Valley Health Services	52 & 82 Fallon Rd, Fitzroy Crossing, WA 6765	Western Australia Country Health Service