Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Northern Territory – Medical Services performed under the Single Employer Model Trial) Direction (No. 1) 2026

Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Northern Territory – Medical Services performed under the Single Employer Model Trial) Direction (No. 1) 2026

I, Nigel Murray, delegate for the Minister for Health and Ageing, make the following Notifiable Instrument.

Dated         4 June 2026

Nigel Murray

Assistant Secretary
MBS Policy and Specialist Services Branch
Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division
Health Resourcing Group

Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Contents

1  Name

2  Commencement

3  Authority

4  Repeals

5  Definitions

6  Medicare benefits payable in respect of the Single Employer Model Trial

Schedule 1—Relevant services

Schedule 2—Approved clinic locations

1  Name

  This instrument is the Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Northern Territory – Medical Services performed under the Single Employer Model Trial) Direction (No. 1) 2026.

2  Commencement

1.     Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Note:  This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

1.     Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under subsection 19(2) of the Act.

4  Repeals

  This instrument is repealed on 31 December 2028 at 11:59pm, unless repealed earlier.

5  Definitions

Act means the Health Insurance Act 1973.

diagnostic imaging services table means the table prescribed under section 4AA of the Act.

eligible person has the meaning given by subsection 3(1) of the Act.

general medical services table means the table prescribed under section 4 of the  Act.

general practice has the meaning given by Part 7.1.1 of the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021.

general practitioner has the meaning given by subsection 3(1) of the Act.

hospital treatment has the meaning given by section 121‑5 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007.

MBS means the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

MMM means the Modified Monash Model.

pathology services table means the table prescribed under section 4A of the Act.

professional service has the meaning given by subsection 3(1) of the Act.

prescribed medical practitioner has the meaning given by Part 7.1.1 of the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021.

6  Medicare benefits payable in respect of the Single Employer Model Trial

A Medicare benefit shall be payable in respect of a professional service where the following are met.

1.    The professional service has been agreed to be provided under the Rural Generalist Single Employer Model Trial within the NT Health Big Rivers Region Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (ABN: 83 605 426 759) and the Northern Territory Government, NT Health (ABN: 84 085 734 992).
2.    The professional service is provided to the following:

1.     an eligible person;
2.   a patient who is not receiving the service as part of an episode of hospital treatment;
3.    a patient who also is not receiving a service which attracts a payment:

1. through the Schedule K - National Health Reform Agreement - Addendum 2025-26 for a service rendered to a public patient; or
2. through another government arrangement outside of the Single Employer Model Trial for the professional service rendered to the patient.

1.    The professional service corresponds with an MBS group, subgroup or item specified in Schedule 1.

1.    The professional service referred to in paragraph (a) must be provided:
   1.     at a general practice; and
   2.   at a rural or remote location specified in Schedule 2; and
   3.  by a rural generalist or rural general practice trainee participating in the Single Employer Model Trial, who is employed by the Northern Territory Government, NT Health (for the Big Rivers Regional Health Service) for the provision of primary and acute care services, and who is formally enrolled in a fellowship training program that meets the standards of:

(A) the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine; and/or

(B) the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Schedule 1—Relevant services

1.               The items identified in this table are provided for in the general medical services table.

Standard Primary Care Services Table

For services listed in the below table, this list of items includes MBS items that are commonly claimed by doctors in primary care. Any medical practitioner claiming an MBS item must ensure their service fulfils the Medicare Benefits Schedule requirements.

1.2 The items identified in this table are provided for in the general medical services table.

Non-Standard Primary Care Services Table

For services listed in the below table, this list of items includes MBS items that are not commonly claimed by doctors in primary care. Any medical practitioner claiming an MBS item must ensure their service fulfils the Medicare Benefits Schedule requirements.

1.3 The items identified in this table are provided for in the diagnostic imaging services table

1.4 The items identified in this table are provided for in the pathology services table

Schedule 2—Approved MMM 2-7 clinic locations

2.1   The below table lists the approved clinic locations in the Northern Territory as agreed under the Rural Generalist Single Employer Model Trial within the NT Health Big Rivers Region.