Reference only — not billing advice

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 1 May 2026.

Mental health
General Practitioner

Item 2715

GP Mental Health Treatment Plan — preparation (20 to less than 40 minutes)

Preparation by a general practitioner who has completed mental-health-skills training of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan for a patient with a mental disorder, where the consultation takes at least 20 minutes but less than 40 minutes. Includes assessment, preparation of a documented plan, and discussion with the patient.

Plain-English summary. See MBS Online for the verbatim descriptor of each item.

TimeAt least 20 minutes but less than 40 minutes
FrequencyGenerally once per 12 months
ReferralNot required
ProfessionGeneral Practitioner

Requirements to bill

Conditions imposed by the descriptor that must be met to claim this item.

GP must have completed mental-health-skills training (or claim under the equivalent non-skills item).
Recorded assessment of the patient.
A documented treatment plan prepared during the consultation.
The plan must be discussed with the patient and offered to them in writing.
A review timeframe must be arranged.

Your notes must show

Documentation tests — what clinical notes need to record to match what the item asks.

Assessment of the patient using a validated screening tool (e.g. K10, PHQ-9), with the score documented.
A diagnosis or clinical formulation.
A treatment plan that includes psychoeducation, non-pharmacological interventions, pharmacological treatment (if applicable), and referral arrangements.
Evidence the plan was documented and provided to the patient.
A specified review timeframe.

Common audit failures

Patterns the Professional Services Review scheme and Medicare audits flag.

No validated screening tool score recorded.
Treatment plan referenced but not actually documented in the record.
No evidence the plan was discussed with the patient.
Item billed for a consultation under 20 minutes.
Item billed more than once per 12 months without a clinical justification.

Related MBS items

Diagnostic codes commonly billed under this item

ICD-10-AM diagnoses whose Medicare pathway includes this item. Click through to the diagnostic-code reference for differential codes and clinical context.

Templates that document this item

Note templates inside Grounded Scribe that produce documentation aligned to this MBS item.

GP MHTP Review (Items 23 / 36 / 44 — AN.0.56 timing)GP Mental Health Treatment Plan review under the time-tiered attendance items (23 Level B, 36 Level C, 44 Level D). The legacy dedicated review item 2712 was retired; the AN.0.56 timing rule still applies — at least 4 weeks since the MHTP was prepared and at least 3 months since the previous review.

In-depth reading in the Library

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.

Item 2715 on MBS Online

Last updated: 1 May 2026