Update to Medicare Benefits Schedule: Skin lesions
The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) skin excision items were restructured from 1 November 2016 to reflect best clinical practice. The Department of Health (DoH) has since been asked to clarify changes to MBS skin services billing.
The DoH has made minor additions to skin excision items, which are highlighted below and are current as at 1 March 2018. Full details are available in explanatory note TN.8.125 associated with MBS items 31356–31376 on the MBS website.
Definitive surgical excision for items 31371–31376 means surgical removal with adequate margins as part of the curative management of the malignancies specified in these items.
An incomplete surgical excision of a malignant skin lesion with curative intent should be billed as a malignant skin lesion excision item, even when further surgery is needed. Wide excision of the primary tumour bed following local excision of a primary melanoma, appendageal carcinoma, malignant connective tissue or merkel cell carcinoma of the skin may be claimed using item 31371, 31372, 31373, 31374, 31375 or 31376, depending on the location of the malignancy and the size of the excision diameter.
To read the complete explanatory note TN.8.125 visit the MBS Online website.
RACGP focus on cloud computing
With medicine awash with claims of revolution from cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and the application of machine learning to health care data, the RACGP is continuing to advocate for genuine, progressive and strategic advancement in medical software technology for general practice through national committee input and member feedback.
To assist this work, please visit shareGP and let us know the key features and functionalities that are important to you and any ideas you have about future developments in related areas that will impact general practice.