The first stage of the federal government’s review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule has recommended the removal of 23 MBS items (of 5,700 in total) from a handful of specialities
These include -
- Diagnostic imaging – 7 items
- Ear, nose, and throat surgery – 9 items
- Gastroenterology – 5 items
- Obstetrics – 1 item
- Thoracic medicine – 1 item
These MBS items were used a combined total of 52,500 times in 2014-15, and were worth $6.8 million in Medicare benefits paid, according to Health Minister Sussan Ley.
The announcement was made between Christmas and the New Year. If the intention of the ‘silly season’ timing was to minimise media coverage - supposedly the case with the announced removals of Ministers Brough and Briggs - the tactic seemed to fail.
The AMA, which recently raised concerns about $600 million of cuts to the bulk-billing of pathology and diagnostic imaging in the MYEFO statement, suggested this was another cost-cutting exercise that could impact on patient access.
AMA president Brian Owler said, “So the recommendations have been announced, they will be reviewed by the relevant speciality groups, and the AMA will provide input as well to the Department that will go back to the taskforce, and eventually the Minister will then make a decision…
“I mean the AMA is not just going to oppose cuts for the sake of it; where it can be supported by evidence, and where there's general agreement in speciality groups then absolutely, there's no problem with that.
“But what we don't want to do is just see cuts for the sake of it and make sure - we don't want to see patients being left high and dry where cuts are made, there's no substitute item that can be used - because remember if it's not on the MBS it's going to be very difficult for patients to access services. And that's what our concerns are going to be about.”
In May 2015, Dr Owler said he had received assurances from Minister Ley that any savings realised from the review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule would be allocated to funding new treatments.
The clinician-led MBS taskforce will make further recommendations in the months ahead that are based on contemporary clinical practice.
