Medical Billing News & MBS Item Number Updates
Updated regularly · Last reviewed 21 July 2026
The Medicare Benefits Schedule changes regularly — items are added, amended, and removed, and fees are indexed. This section tracks those changes in plain English, so specialists and practice managers can see quickly what a new or revised item number means for their billing.
How MBS updates work
The MBS is maintained by the Australian Government and updated on a recurring basis, with changes commonly taking effect on 1 July and 1 November each year, alongside other scheduled amendments. When an item is introduced or changed, several practical questions follow — who can claim it, what it pays, how it interacts with health funds, and where the common pitfalls are. We answer those questions here as changes are published, and always recommend confirming the specifics against the official MBS.
What each update covers
For every item change we publish, we work through the same checklist so nothing important is missed:
- Who qualifies — the eligibility and clinical criteria for claiming the item.
- Fee — the scheduled fee and the benefit payable.
- Health fund billing — how the item interacts with private health fund benefits for admitted patients.
- Claim process — how and when to lodge, and any timing considerations.
- Common mistakes — the errors most likely to cause rejection or underpayment.
- Benefits — what the change means in practice for affected specialists.
Latest updates
What to check when a new MBS item number is introduced
Whenever a new item appears, confirm five things before you bill it: the exact eligibility wording, the scheduled fee, whether it can be co-claimed with related items, how the relevant health funds treat it for admitted patients, and the effective date. Billing a new item before its start date, or against criteria you don't meet, is the most common early error. When in doubt, verify against the official MBS or ask us to check it for your specialty.
Indexation and why last year's fee may be wrong
Scheduled fees are periodically indexed. Billing systems that aren't kept current can quietly lodge claims against outdated fees, leading to reconciliation headaches and, in some cases, underpayment. Keeping item and fee data current is a routine part of professional billing — and one reason practices choose a dedicated service over manual processes.
Want an item checked for your specialty?
Ask our team how an MBS change affects your billing.
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