As of 1 November 2021, you can now claim a Medicare item for point-of-care glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) tests.
The item for HbA1c tests is only available to practitioners working in a practice accredited against the RACGP Standards for point-of-care testing (5th edition). These standards are accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care and were developed to improve the quality and safety of point-of-care testing (PoCT) performed by health services.
The service may be claimed in respect of a patient a maximum of three times in a 12-month period and may not be claimed by a patient if a total of four other HbA1c testing items (laboratory or PoCT) have already been provided to the patient in the last 12 months. This is in accordance with the recommendation from the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) that PoCT HbA1c testing should be used for the ongoing management of patients with established diabetes on an as needed basis every 3–6 months to assess blood glucose control. MSAC considered that the test provides a clinically meaningful indication of diabetes status over the previous three to four months. Therefore, it is not of value to repeat the test within this timeframe.
The relevant item numbers and descriptors are provided below.
Item 73812
Fee: $11.80
Descriptor:
Quantitation of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) performed in the management of established diabetes when performed:
(a) as a point‑of‑care test; and
(b) by or on behalf of a medical practitioner who works in a general practice that is accredited against the point of care testing accreditation module under the National General Practice Accreditation Scheme; and
(c) using a method and instrument certified by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP), if the instrument has a total coefficient variation less than 3.0% at 48 mmol/mol (6.5%)
Applicable not more than 3 times per 12 months per patient.
Item 73826
Fee: $11.80
Descriptor:
Quantitation of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) performed by a participating nurse practitioner in the management of established diabetes when performed:
(a) as a point‑of‑care test;
(b) by a nurse practitioner who works in a general practice that is accredited against the point of care testing accreditation module under the National General Practice Accreditation Scheme; and
(c) using a method and instrument certified by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP), if the instrument has a total coefficient variation less than 3.0% at 48 mmol/mol (6.5%)
Applicable not more than 3 times per 12 months per patient.