MBS items change. Verify the current descriptor, fee, and rules on MBS Online before billing. This page does not include a fee amount. Last reviewed 2 May 2026.
- General consultation
- General Practitioner
Item 23
Level B GP consultation
Professional attendance by a general practitioner at consulting rooms, lasting at least 6 minutes and less than 20 minutes, requiring the taking of a relevant history, performing a clinical examination, or both.
Plain-English summary. See MBS Online for the verbatim descriptor of each item.
- TimeAt least 6 minutes and less than 20 minutes
- FrequencyNot capped
- ReferralNot required
- ProfessionGeneral Practitioner
Requirements to bill
Conditions imposed by the descriptor that must be met to claim this item.
- Attendance must be at consulting rooms (the descriptor specifies "at consulting rooms" — non-rooms attendances bill against different items in the home/RACF/hospital ranges).
- Consultation must last at least 6 minutes — the 6-minute minimum is a structural part of the descriptor and consultations under 6 minutes belong to Item 3 (Level A).
- Consultation must involve taking a relevant history, performing an examination, or both — a brief assessment alone may not justify the item.
- Item is not appropriate for "obvious, straightforward" presentations that fit Item 3 (Level A).
Your notes must show
Documentation tests — what clinical notes need to record to match what the item asks.
- A presenting complaint or reason for attendance.
- Relevant history (even if brief) OR clinical examination findings.
- Your clinical assessment or impression.
- Management plan or advice given.
- When this attendance functions as an MHTP review (the previously dedicated review item 2712 has been retired): (a) AN.0.56 advisory timing — the explanatory note states an MHTP review "should not" be undertaken within 4 weeks of the original MHTP or within 3 months of the previous review. PSR review may apply this advisory wording even though Medicare does not auto-reject claims that fall outside it; document the dates regardless; (b) reassessment using the same validated tool used in the original MHTP, with current and previous scores recorded; (c) review of progress against each MHTP goal; (d) any modifications to the plan, with reasoning, OR an explicit "no changes required" rationale.
Common audit failures
Patterns the Professional Services Review scheme and Medicare audits flag.
- Notes that show only a diagnosis and prescription with no history or examination ("sore throat, amoxicillin prescribed") — a PSR Committee may question whether Item 23 was appropriate rather than Item 3.
- Templated notes identical across multiple patients — suggests documentation is not individualised.
- MHTP review billed under Item 23 without documenting the AN.0.56 advisory timing dates (4 weeks since MHTP, 3 months since previous review — AN.0.56 uses "should not" wording, but PSR review may flag claims outside these intervals) or without reassessment against MHTP goals.
Related MBS items
Templates that document this item
Note templates inside Grounded Scribe that produce documentation aligned to this MBS item.
In-depth reading in the Library
- Medicare Audit-Ready Documentation: A GP's Guide to MBS Item Number ComplianceProfessional Services Review audits can result in repayment demands, exclusion from Medicare, and public referral. Your clinical notes are the primary evidence in any PSR investigation. This guide details exactly what your documentation must contain to withstand scrutiny.
- A Guide to Clinical Note Templates for Australian PractitionersFrom SOAP notes to MBS-compliant templates, learn how to choose the right clinical note format for your profession, your clients, and Medicare billing requirements.
Source authority
Documentation tests on this page reference the descriptor conditions and PSR-audit patterns covered in our existing Library guides. Always confirm current rules against the official descriptor.
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