MBS changes reshape general practice billing and data sharing

July 1 MBS reforms thrust billing and data sharing into the foreground of Australian general practice.

Billing shifts

From July 1, most general medical items rise by 2.6% and new assignment of benefits rules tighten billing flow. Verbal consent remains acceptable until mid-2027, with enduring assignment available for all MyMedicare registered patients, RACF residents and Aboriginal community controlled health organisations. Two paediatric sleep study items enable unattended home testing, shifting diagnostics away from specialist clinics. The change rewards software platforms that automate benefit assignment and integrate with electronic health records, while small practices absorb extra admin during the transition.

ADHD funding

New South Wales Health will fund GPs to diagnose and manage ADHD, offering up to $600 per patient and a total pool of about $1.5 million for the initiative. The payment is designed to cover administration costs, pre-assessment tools and input from dietitians or psychologists, and GPs can still bill existing MBS items alongside the new grant. The aim is closer-to-home assessments for patients in disadvantaged and rural areas, reducing reliance on specialists, but uptake will depend on how quickly rules are implemented and the rollout pace.

AI safety pressure

Global AI tools are advancing, with frontier language models challenging doctor-grade decision support in real practice. A UK AI scribe pilot reported roughly a 10% error rate, underscoring the need for explicit safety data and risk dashboards. For Australian healthtech players the lesson is clear: invest in safety, explainability and transparent risk reporting to stay competitive and trusted by clinicians and payers.

Standards drive adoption

The Sparked Podcast Season Three and the national FHIR accelerator show how shared standards can unlock interoperability. Vendors that align products to these standards win, while slow adopters risk data fragmentation and poorer care coordination if uptake stalls. Public sector funding and collaborative design efforts push the market toward more integrated digital health tools.