To be considered valid, a referral must now include:

• Either the address of the practice or the provider number of the referring practitioner.
• A statement about referral validity, if relevant.

Referrals are now valid for 18 months from the date of the first service provided, unless a different period is specified on the referral.

No. The total number of Medicare-funded allied health services remains capped at 5 per calendar year (10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients).

What has changed is that referrals are now valid for up to 18 months, meaning patients may space out their sessions or see different providers during that time.

You can verify remaining MBS-funded services using the HPOS online checker or ask the patient to check their Medicare Online account

No. Under the revised rules, GPs are not required to specify the number of services per provider or per profession.

However, GPs can still include the number of services if they wish, and it’s recommended that you ask the patient or GP to clarify this where possible, particularly if coordinating care with other allied health providers.

Reporting requirements remain unchanged:

• You must send a report after the first service.
• You must send a report after the final service under the referral.
• If there is clinical relevance, you may report mid-referral.

If it’s unclear whether the patient has completed all sessions:

• Send a “final” report based on clinical judgement. If the patient returns unexpectedly, another final report can be submitted without consequence.

You’ll need to:

• Discuss this directly with the patient or GP at intake, or
• Use HPOS to check how many MBS-funded services the patient has left.

Not necessarily. If a review of the GP Management Plan (GPMP) is done within 18 months, and the referral is still valid, a new referral is not required.

However, new referrals are needed once the 18-month period expires or if the patient's care needs change significantly.

Yes. Referrals no longer need to list a specific provider or clinic. Patients can choose their provider, and services can be spread across different clinics if they wish.

This increases flexibility, but also requires that podiatrists check MBS usage status via HPOS to avoid rejected claims.

To avoid billing for ineligible services:

• Check HPOS before the initial service.
• Confirm with the patient how many services they expect to use.
• Document communication with the referring GP if you’ve clarified the number of intended sessions.

If a patient discontinues treatment:

• Send a “final” report to the referring GP.
• There are no penalties for over-reporting, so it is acceptable to provide a second final report if the patient later returns.

Use the following tools:

• HPOS > Patient details > Care Plan History
• HPOS MBS Items Checker
• Medicare Online Account (patients can check this themselves).

Yes. From 1 July 2025, Medicare allied health items will be indexed by 2.4%. This applies to the full range of MBS allied health items. You can confirm the changes via the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Indexation) Determination 2025 or check the MBS XML downloads.

No. There are no restrictions or timing dependencies between different GP planning items. If a patient qualifies for more than one plan, they can have both without interaction or restriction.

Only in specific cases. GPs can refer for M10 items if the patient has, or is suspected to have, an eligible disability (e.g., stuttering, speech sound disorder, or cleft lip/palate from 1/3/2026). However, for suspected complex neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism, only a paediatrician or psychiatrist can make a valid referral.

No. GPs must still include either the address of their practice or their provider number on referrals. This aligns referrals to allied health with requirements already in place for referrals to medical specialists.