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MBS UPDATES & INSIGHTS

The BetterBilling Blog

Practical Medicare billing tips, guideline updates and worked examples for GPs, registrars and practice teams — in plain English.

Good billing is really just good documentation

Ask most GPs why they don’t bill an item they’re entitled to and the honest answer is rarely “I didn’t know about it.” It’s “I wasn’t confident my notes would back it up.” That instinct is a good one — billing should always be defensible. The problem isn’t the caution. It’s that good documentation is treated as extra work instead of the default. The real barrier isn’t knowledge — it’s friction When claiming an item correctly means stopping to remember exactly what needs to be

The MBS Billing Health Check: find the Medicare income you’ve already earned

Most GPs are sitting on income they’ve genuinely earned but never billed. Not because they’re careless — because the work happens in the room, the patient walks out, and the eligible item quietly never gets claimed. Over a week that’s a handful of items. Over a year it’s a serious number. The MBS Billing Health Check is how we find it. What it is — and what it isn’t The MBS Billing Health Check is a done-for-you review of one week of your consulting. We go through it patient

Aged Care Billing for GPs: a practical, audit-defensible system for your RACF work

Residential aged care facility (RACF) work is some of the most demanding work a GP does — and some of the most inconsistently billed. The rules feel scattered, the items overlap, and it's hard to know what you can claim, when, and how to keep it defensible. Our Aged Care Billing for GPs course was built to fix exactly that. It's a practical, MBS-grounded course covering the seven core building blocks of a structured RACF practice. Each module follows the same clear format: an

How BetterBilling users typically increase billings — without seeing more patients

Most GPs assume that earning more means working more: longer days, fuller books, more patients through the door. But the GPs who get the most out of BetterBilling rarely add a single appointment. Instead, they get paid properly for the work that's already happening in their practice every day. Here are the three shifts that make the biggest difference. 1. Understanding why and when to do GP chronic condition management plans Chronic condition management is one of the most und

How I've Been Billing My Menopausal Patients

Since the introduction of the Menopause and Perimenopause Health Assessment (item 695), one of the most common questions I receive is: "How are you actually using it in practice?" The answer is probably less complicated than you think. Not Every Menopausal Patient Needs a 695 The first mistake many practices make is assuming every menopause consultation should become a health assessment. That's not the purpose of the item. Many patients simply require a standard consultation

The 10997 Change That Most Practices Have Missed

One of the most practical changes to MBS item 10997 isn't about who can receive the service or how many can be claimed. It's about supervision. The MBS now clearly states that the supervising medical practitioner does not need to be physically present with the nurse providing the service. Instead, "supervision at a distance" is acceptable. What Does This Mean? If a practice nurse is providing a clinically relevant 10997 service, the supervising GP: Does not need to be in the

Telehealth billing myths that won't die

Telehealth billing is still one of the most misunderstood areas in general practice. And the same myths keep coming up — even in well-run clinics. Let's clear a few up. MYTH 1: YOU CAN'T SPLIT BILL TELEHEALTH ITEMS This isn't true. You can bill: • A general attendance • And a sexual health/reproductive health (SHR/BBV) item …as long as: ✔ Both services are clinically relevant ✔ Both meet their criteria ✔ Both are clearly documented The issue isn't the combination — it's wheth

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