Summary
Date: 22 June 2022
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is conducting a performance audit of the Department of Health’s management of the expansion of telehealth services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 onwards, including the implementation of telehealth services as a permanent feature of Medicare. The audit is expected to table in Parliament in December 2022.
The RACGP has provided a written submission on the Department’s management of the expansion of telehealth services between 2020 and 2022. The RACGP’s submission provides feedback on key issues including:
- mandatory bulk billing of MBS telehealth services
- the removal of Medicare rebates for phone consultations in July 2021
- the existing relationship requirement for GP telehealth services
- the Department’s 2021 telehealth compliance campaign
- telehealth with third parties.
The submission also comments on the RACGP’s engagement with the Department over the past two years, and the quality and timeliness of information about MBS telehealth items.