Chronic Disease Management and MBS deferred to 1 July 2025

On 25 September the Department of Health and Ageing announced the commencement date for Chronic Conditions Management MBS item changes have been deferred to 1 July 2025.

The additional time will support all practices and providers, including GPs and allied health providers, to be ready for the changes to these important services. Previously, these changes were due to come into effect from 1 November 2024.

Steps your practice can take to prepare

Here are some ideas you might like to consider starting to prepare your practice team for Chronic Conditions Management and MyMedicare patient registration:

1. Discuss what these changes mean with your practice team and identify any activities or processes you need to review or update (e.g. incorporating MyMedicare registration in your workflows for chronic disease/conditions management).
2. Register your practice for MyMedicare if you have not done so already.
3. Engage your patients to encourage them to register with MyMedicare, particularly those with a chronic condition or existing care plan:
   • Prepare your practice team to speak with patients about MyMedicare. Discuss MyMedicare at a practice meeting or print off copies of the MyMedicare brochures and MyMedicare patient registration frequently asked questions for your practice team to have on hand to support conversations with patients. 
   • Include the MyMedicare Registration form and brochure with your patient consent and data collection formUpdate your practice website to include links to MyMedicare brochures a, MyMedicare patient registration information, and MyMedicare patient registration frequently asked questions.
   • Place MyMedicare posters and brochures in your practice waiting room/reception and display MyMedicare Patient videos in your waiting room screens.
   • Post information about MyMedicare in your practice Facebook or social media page using the following Social Media Tiles.

The MyMedicare communication resources for General Practice includes social media tiles, videos, brochures and posters.

You can also find a Guide to MBS Items on HealthPathways.

EMPHN will keep you updated with more information about these changes as it is released. Please contact us at digitalhealth@emphn.org.au for information and support.