Notes on the data: MBS services

Services provided by GPs for Enhanced Primary Care items other than health checks to 45 to 59 years and 75 years and over age groups, 2009/10

Note that although these data are several years old, they have been retained in the atlases as the only small area data available for this topic. Efforts continue to get access to more up-to-date data.

Policy context: General practitioners offer a wide range of primary health care services and are the 'front line' of the Australian health care system. In 1999/2000, the Federal Government introduced Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) items to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). These items were designed to improve care of persons with chronic and/or complex conditions and to remunerate GPs for services, including contributing to the care of such persons outside the normal face-to-face consultation process. Chronic conditions are defined as conditions which have been, or are likely to be, present for six months or more. Complex care needs are those where the GP considers the patient would benefit from care provided by two or more health professionals as well as themselves.

Since their introduction, the EPC items have undergone changes and have been joined by other items and incentives such as the Home Medicine Reviews, the diabetes and asthma Service Incentive Payments (SIPS), the Mental Health Three Step Process and the Allied Health, Dental Care and Comprehensive Medical Assessment (in Residential Aged Care Facilities) items [1].

Reference

Australian General Practice Network (AGPN). Enhanced Primary Care [Internet] [cited 2008 May 1; not available].

Notes: MBS Item Nos: 721, 725, 723, 727, 729, 731

Data exclude any such services provided by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Numerator: Number of services provided by GPs for 'other' Enhanced Primary Care items (excludes 45 Year Old Health Check and Annual health assessments for persons aged 75 years and over)

Denominator: Total population

Detail of analysis: Indirectly age-standardised rate per 100,000 population; and/or indirectly age-standardised ratio, based on the Australian standard

Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on data from Medicare Australia, supplied by the Department of Health of Ageing, 2009/10; and average of ABS Estimated Resident Population, 30 June 2009 and 30 June 2010.