Topic
Medicare & MBS Documentation
Reference guides for Australian practitioners billing Medicare. Each guide cites the relevant MBS item descriptor, PSR scheme expectations, and the documentation tests your notes need to pass under audit.
Source authorities
- • Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Online
- • Professional Services Review scheme (PSR)
- • Department of Health and Aged Care item descriptors
Browse MBS items by number
Item-by-item documentation tests for GP consults, mental health plans, and more.
6 guides in this topic
Medicare Audit-Ready Documentation: A GP's Guide to MBS Item Number Compliance
Professional 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.
Read guideWriting Better Access Progress Reports in Half the Time
Every psychologist under the Better Access initiative must send a progress report to the referring GP after 6 sessions. This guide provides a step-by-step workflow for writing efficient, compliant reports that satisfy Medicare requirements without consuming your entire evening.
Read guideMental Health Nurses and the MBS: What Australian CMHNs Can Actually Bill
A common misconception is that credentialled mental health nurses can bill MBS items 82200–82216 under Better Access. Both halves of that framing are wrong. This guide sets out the only MBS pathway available to CMHNs (NDPSC item 81010), how community mental health work is actually funded post-MHNIP, and the documentation requirements that follow.
Read guideMBS Telehealth Documentation Requirements: A Compliance Guide
MBS telehealth items have specific documentation requirements beyond ordinary face-to-face notes — patient consent, modality used, location of patient, and (for many GP items) the eligible-telehealth-practitioner test (formerly called the "established clinical relationship" requirement). This guide details what each note must contain.
Read guideDVA Allied Health Documentation for Veterans: A Practitioner Guide
Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) allied health treatment must satisfy the DVA Provider Notes and Health Service Provider Manuals. This guide outlines the documentation structure that supports approval of treatment cycles and avoids audit findings.
Read guideA Guide to Clinical Note Templates for Australian Practitioners
From SOAP notes to MBS-compliant templates, learn how to choose the right clinical note format for your profession, your clients, and Medicare billing requirements.
Read guide