Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Advisory Committee - MBS Time Tiered Items Draft Report

Overview

The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) is a list of health professional services (items) that the Australian Government subsidises. MBS items provide patient benefits for a wide range of health services including consultations, diagnostic tests, therapy, and operations.

Established in 2021, the MBS Continuous Review is a program assurance function that conducts ongoing reviews of the MBS to ensure it is contemporary, aligned with best clinical practice, improves patient outcomes, and supports high quality care for all Australians.  

The objective of the MBS Continuous Review is to ensure the MBS:  

• Continues to support high-quality care, remains flexible, and stays up to date 

• Remains consistent, clear, and evidence based 

• Aligns with the needs of patients and health professionals alike. 

The Continuous Review is supported by the MBS Review Advisory Committee (MRAC), an independent and clinician-led non statutory committee comprised of health practitioners, health economics and research experts, and consumer representatives. Its role is to advise the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing on publicly funded services listed on the MBS.

Background

In August 2024, the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Advisory Committee (MRAC) endorsed a review of primary care time-tiered MBS items. The Time-Tiered Working Group (TTWG) was established to lead the review and report its findings to the MRAC.   

The review aimed to ensure that the MBS framework for primary care time-tiered MBS items remained fit for purpose in a contemporary clinical context by considering: 

• consistency across MBS items and with broader health policy objectives 

• options to streamline the number of MBS items 

• if the existing time-tiers appropriately supported contemporary clinical practice 
• if certain MBS items that were not time-tiered should be incorporated into the time-tiered structure. 

The TTWG comprised MRAC members and departmental representatives, including experts in health policy, health economics, consumer advocacy, general practice, nursing and specialist medicine. 

The TTWG examined the structure, consistency and effectiveness of time-tiered MBS arrangements across primary care. The review focused on the overarching framework for time-tiered MBS items rather than undertaking an item-by-item review. 

The TTWG considered that the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) – Australia’s fee-for-service remuneration model – will remain important and relevant for our healthcare system in the future. Therefore, to ensure that the MBS underpins contemporary and holistic care to patients that meets their individual care needs, this report seeks the adoption of 5 key principles for items which should be applied to time-tiered attendances in primary care. The report also provides a range of recommendations to align current MBS time-tiered items with these key principles.

The recommendations contained in this draft report are subject to public consultation and further consideration by MRAC and Government. 

Why your views matter

The MRAC seeks views from clinicians, peak bodies, consumers and other interested parties in relation to the Time-Tiered Primary Care Working Group Draft Final Report.

The diverse perspectives, experience and knowledge of all stakeholders, including members of the community, are valued and will be considered by the MRAC in finalising its recommendations to Government.

A PDF and word version of the Time-Tiered Primary Care Working Group Draft Final Report are available for download below (see documents under the 'Related' heading below). 

Online survey or Written Submission

This is an open consultation and allows all to participate and provide their feedback through either the consultation survey or written submission.

Participants are requested to refer to the attached discussion paper prior to making a submission or completing the survey.

Participants may choose to submit a written submission by emailing MRACTimeTieredReview@health.gov.au. You are invited to submit your feedback on this report by 11.59PM on 15 October 2026.  

Participants are not expected to provide responses to both the online consultation survey and written feedback.

Written feedback submissions may be published by the department. Full details on privacy and publishing information can be found on the 'Important Information' page by clicking the survey link.

If you do not wish for all or some of your written submission to be published by the department, please advise the department of this within the submission.

Your contribution is greatly appreciated.