One of the final covid holdovers has officially kicked the bucket.
As of Monday this week, non-directive pregnancy counselling items are no longer exempt from the established clinical relationship rule.
It’s one of the final pandemic-era telehealth exemptions to lapse, but will still be available for patients who have seen the treating doctor face-to-face in the previous 12 months.
The items in question are 92136 and 92138, which were claimed a combined 5873 times over the past year.
They are both worth $87.25, with a minimum attendance of 20 minutes.
Antenatal and maternity consults were not included in last year’s tripled bulk-billing incentive; they still carry a bulk-billing incentive, but only the old, non-tripled amount.
Related
Telehealth consults regarding blood-borne viruses, sexual reproductive health and mental health items will remain permanently exempt from the rule.
The covid-specific level C consults for antiviral assessments and existing relationship exemptions for patients who have confirmed or suspected infections also lapsed on July 1.
The RACGP has reportedly written to the Department of Health and Aged Care flagging its concern with the expiry of the pregnancy exemption.
“This removal will disadvantage women at a time-critical point in their pregnancy,” college president Dr Nicole Higgins told NewsGP.
“We know we’ve got areas within Australia that are reproductive healthcare deserts where it is often difficult to access medical termination services or be linked in with maternity care.”
