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‘General Practitioner’ items are
90020, 90035, 90043, 90051
Item A, b C & D

Normally, you will bill one of these for each patient seen at the RACF
And for ONE of those patients (it doesn’t matter which) you ALSO bill a 90001.

You claim a 90001 once per RACF visit. If doctor is at the RACF twice in the same day, you should notate the times of the 90001. This is called a flag fall attendance.

‘Medical Practitioner’ MM1 area items are
Flagfall = 90002
consult items as follows (note level A, B, C & D item descriptors don’t apply)
90092 = 5 minutes and less
90093 = more than 5 minutes AND 25 minutes or less
90095 = more than 25 minutes AND 45 minutes or less
90096 = more than 45 minutes

Eligible Area means = MM 2-7 area – check here

Eligible Area ‘Medical Practitioner’ items are
Flagfall = 90002
consult items as follows (note level A, B, C & D item descriptors don’t apply)
90183 = 5 minutes and less
90185 = more than 5 minutes AND 25 minutes or less
90202 = more than 25 minutes AND 45 minutes or less
90212 = more than 45 minutes


As shown, some of the items are ‘Medical Practitioner’ items others are ‘General Practitioner’ Items.

From the MBS
‘General Practitioner items are for attendances rendered by medical practitioners who are:
–          listed on the Vocational Register of General Practitioners maintained by the Department of Human Services; or
–          holders of the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) who participate in, and meet the requirements of the RACGP for continuing medical education and quality assurance as defined in the RACGP Quality Assurance and Continuing Medical Education program; or
–          holders of the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) who participate in, and meet the requirements of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) for continuing medical education and quality assurance as defined in ACRRM’s Professional Development Program; or
–          undertaking an approved placement in general practice as part of a training program for general practice leading to the award of the FRACGP or training recognised by the RACGP as being of an equivalent standard; or
–          undertaking an approved placement in general practice as part of a training program for general practice leading to the award of the FACRRM or training recognised by ACRRM as being of an equivalent standard. ‘

A doctor who doesn’t have an FRACGP or FACCRM (Ie they weren’t ‘grandfathered’ in 1996, NOT MY WORD, and haven’t sat the tests since) then they will need to use the Medical Practitioner items, unless they get added to the VR Register.

I think this is the correct form to get added to the VR register.

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organisations/health-professionals/forms/hw060

Let’s look at the income

OLD system

4 by item 20
Item 20 =
‘Derived Fee: The fee for item 3, plus $47.40 divided by the number of patients seen, up to a maximum of six
patients. For seven or more patients – the fee for item 3 plus $3.35 per patient.’
= $17.20 + $47.40/4
= $17.20 + $11.85
= $29.05

4 by item 20 = 4 by $29.05 = $116.20

New system

4 by 90020 + 1 by 90001
= 4 by $17.20 + 1 by $55
= $68.80 + $55
= $123.80

You are marginally in front by $7.60

This is the same as $55 less the $47.40
For up to 6 patients, you will be in front

In fact you will be in front at least until 8 patients seen at once. Perhaps more if they charge the longer items, as these longer items had a small ‘growth’ after the sixth patient.