Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Services Rendered at Tasmania Urgent Care Clinics - Devonport) Direction (No.2) 2026

Administered by Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Legislation au F2026N00452 In force Notifiable Instrument

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AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, DISABILITY AND AGEING

 

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973

Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Services Rendered at Tasmania Urgent Care Clinics - Devonport) Direction (No.2) 2026

I, Nigel Murray, Assistant Secretary, MBS Policy and Specialist Programs Branch, Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division, Health Resourcing Group, delegate for the Minister for Health and Ageing, acting under subsection 19(2) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act), hereby:

  1.      REPEAL the Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Services Rendered at Tasmania Urgent Care Clinic - Devonport) Direction (No. 1) 2026; and
  2.      DIRECT that Medicare Benefits shall be payable in respect of:
  1.      A professional service (as defined in section 3 of the Act) which has been agreed to be provided under a Schedule to the Federation Funding Agreement executed on
    1 June 2023 between the Commonwealth (represented by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, ABN: 83 605 426 759) and the Tasmanian Premier Minister for Health (The Crown in Right of Tasmania (represented by the Tasmanian Department of Health, ABN: 11 255 872 006); and
    1.        as part of the Commonwealth Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program for which items specified in Schedule A of this Direction and of the general medical services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4(1) of the Act), pathology services table (means the table prescribed under section 4A of the Act) or diagnostic imaging services table (means the table prescribed under section 4AA of the Act) relates; or
    2.      as part of the Commonwealth Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program for which items specified in Schedule B of this Direction and of the general medical services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4(1) of the Act), pathology services table (means the table prescribed under section 4A of the Act) or diagnostic imaging services table (means the table prescribed under section 4AA of the Act) relates; and
      1.    are provided during the hours of operation; and
      2.     at the time the service is being provided, there is not a practitioner who is described in paragraph (2)(c) of this Direction, in attendance at the practice listed in Schedule C to provide the service in person; and
  2.      Where the professional service is provided to:
  1.        an eligible person (as defined in section 3 of the Act);
  2.      a patient who is not receiving the service as part of an episode of hospital treatment (as defined in section 121-5 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007); and
  3.   a patient who also is not receiving a service which attracts a payment through Schedule L of the 2026-2031 National Health Reform Agreement for a service rendered to a public patient; and
  1.      The professional services referred to in paragraph (2)(a) must be provided:
    1.         at a practice location specified in Schedule C of this Direction; and
    2.      by a general practitioner, prescribed medical practitioner or participating nurse practitioner who is registered to provide services in Schedule A and B with Services Australia under the Commonwealth Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program mentioned in paragraph (2)(a).
  1.      DECLARE that this Direction commences on 1 July 2026 ceases to have effect at the end of 10 December 2026 unless earlier revoked.

Note: A number of expressions used in this direction are defined in the below instruments:

  • Health Insurance Act 1973: the meaning of general practitioner, participating nurse practitioner and professional service; and
  • Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021: the meaning of prescribed medical practitioner.

 

Date: 24 June 2026

 

 

Nigel Murray

Assistant Secretary 

MBS Policy and Specialist Programs Branch

Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division

Health Resourcing Group

Department of Health, Disability and Ageing 


SCHEDULE A

MEDICARE BENEFITS SCHEDULE ITEMS AS AGREED under the COMMONWEALTH MEDICARE Urgent care clinicS program

For services listed in the below tables, all provisions of the Act and regulations made under the Act, and the National Health Act 1953 and regulations made under the National Health Act 1953, relating to medical services, professional services or items apply.

General Medical Services Table

Group

Group Name

Subgroup

Subgroup Name

Item Number

A1

General practitioner attendances to which no other item applies

3, 23, 36, 44, 123

A2

Other non‑referred attendances to which no other item applies

1

Other medical practitioner attendances

52, 53, 54, 57, 151

A5

Prolonged attendances to which no other item applies

A7

Acupuncture and non‑specialist practitioner items

2

Prescribed medical practitioner attendance to which no other item applies

179, 185, 189, 203, 301

3

Prescribed medical practitioner prolonged attendances to which no other item applies

214, 215, 218, 219, 220

10

Prescribed Medical Practitioner after‑hours attendances to which no other item applies

733, 737, 741, 745, 2197

A22

General practitioner after-hours attendances to which no other item applies

5000, 5020, 5040, 5060, 5071

A23

Other non‑referred after‑hours attendances to which no other item applies

5200, 5203, 5207, 5208, 5209

D1

Miscellaneous diagnostic procedures and investigations

6

Cardiovascular

11707

T4

Obstetrics

16500

T7

Regional or field nerve blocks

18213

T8

Surgical operations

1

General

30003, 30006, 30026, 30029, 30032, 30035, 30038, 30042, 30045, 30049, 30052, 30055, 30061, 30064, 30068, 30099, 30207, 30216, 30219

2

Colorectal

32147, 32174

5

Urological

36800

8

Ear, nose and throat

41500, 41647, 41659, 41677

9

Ophthalmology

42644, 42650

14

Hand or wrist surgery

46513, 46528, 46531

15

Orthopaedic

47015, 47018, 47024, 47030, 47042, 47057, 47063, 47069, 47301, 47348, 47354, 47361, 47387, 47423, 47444, 47453, 47462, 47466, 47471, 47543, 47561, 47579, 47595, 47637, 47663, 47735, 47904, 47915, 47916

M1

Management of bulk-billed services

1

Management of general bulk-billed services

10990, 10991, 10992, 75855, 75856, 75857, 75858

2

General support service

75870, 75871, 75872, 75873, 75874, 75875, 75876

M14

Nurse practitioners

1

Nurse practitioners

82200, 82205, 82210, 82215, 82216, 82226, 82227

*Note: Claims under any item in Group A7 in the General Medical Services Table may only be exempt from subsection 19(2) of the Act when the services are claimed by a Prescribed Medical Practitioner operating under the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program.

 

Diagnostic Imaging Services Table

Group

Group Name

Subgroup

Subgroup Name

Item Number

I1

Ultrasound

1

General

55028, 55032, 55036, 55038, 55048, 55054, 55065, 55066, 55070, 55071, 55076

3

Vascular

55238, 55244, 55246, 55252, 55274, 55276, 55278

4

Urological

55600

5

Obstetric And Gynaecological

55700, 55704, 55706, 55707, 55712, 55718, 55721

6

Musculoskeletal

55812, 55844, 55848, 55850, 55856, 55858, 55860, 55862, 55864, 55866, 55868, 55870, 55872, 55874, 55876, 55878, 55880, 55882, 55884, 55886, 55888, 55890, 55892, 55894

7

Transthoracic Echocardiogram and Stress Echocardiogram

55126, 55132, 55133, 55141

I2

Computed Tomography

1

Head

56001, 56007, 56013, 56016, 56022, 56028, 56030, 56036

2

Neck

56101, 56107

3

Spine

56220, 56221, 56223, 56226, 56233, 56237

4

Chest and upper abdomen

56301, 56307

5

Upper abdomen only

56401, 56407, 56409, 56412

6

Upper abdomen and pelvis

56501, 56507

7

Extremities

56620, 56622, 56623, 56627, 56629

8

Chest, abdomen, pelvis and neck

56801, 56807

9

Brain, chest and upper abdomen

57001, 57007

11

Interventional techniques

57341

12

Spiral angiography

57357

I3

Diagnostic Radiology

1

Radiographic Examination Of Extremities

57506, 57509, 57512, 57515, 57518, 57521, 57522, 57523, 57524, 57527

2

 Radiographic Examination Of Shoulder Or Pelvis

57700, 57703, 57706, 57709, 57712, 57715

3

Radiographic Examination Of Head

57901, 57905, 57907, 57915, 57921, 57924, 57927, 57930, 57933, 57945, 57960, 57963, 57969

4

Radiographic Examination Of Spine

58100, 58103, 58106, 58108, 58109, 58112, 58115

6

Radiographic Examination Of Thoracic Region

58500, 58503, 58509, 58521, 58524, 58527

7

Radiographic Examination Of Urinary Tract

58700

8

Radiographic Examination Of Alimentary Tract And Biliary System

58900, 58903, 58909 

9

Radiographic Examination For Localisation Of Foreign Bodies

59103 

10

Radiographic Examination Of Breasts

59300, 59302, 59303, 59305, 59314 

12

 

Radiographic Examination With Opaque Or Contrast Media

59751 

 

I4

Nuclear Medicine Imaging

1

Nuclear medicine- non PET

61329, 61345, 61357, 61421, 61425, 61473 

3

Adjunctive services

61505 

I5

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

1

Scan Of Head – For Specified Conditions

63001, 63007

2

Scan Of Head - For Specified Conditions

63040, 63049, 63058, 63064 

6

Scan Of Spine - One Region Or Two Contiguous Regions - For Infection or Tumour

63151

7

Scan Of Spine - One Region Or Two Contiguous Regions - For Other Conditions

63161, 63167, 63173, 63176, 63179, 63182, 63185 

8

Scan Of Spine - Three Contiguous Regions Or Two Non-Contiguous Regions - For Infection or Tumour

63201

9

Scan Of Spine - Three Contiguous Regions Or Two Non-Contiguous Regions - For Other Conditions

63219, 63228

11

Scan Of Musculoskeletal System - For Tumour, Infection or Osteonecrosis

63301

12

Scan Of Musculoskeletal System - For Joint Derangement

63322, 63325, 63328, 63331, 63334, 63337, 63340

19

Scan Of Body - For Specified Conditions

63461 

20

Scans Of Pelvis And Upper Abdomen - For Specified Conditions

63740 

33

Scan of Body - Person Under the Age of 16 Years - General Practice Requests

63507, 63513, 63522

34

Scan of Body - Person Over the Age of 16 Years - General Practice Requests

 

63551, 63554, 63557, 63560 

I6

Management of bulk‑billed services

64990, 64991, 64992, 64993, 64994, 64995

 

Pathology Services Table

Group

Group Name

Item Number

P9

Simple basic pathology tests

73806, 73809, 73813, 73833, 73836

P12

Management of bulk‑billed services

74990, 74991, 75861, 75862, 75863, 75864

 

 


SCHEDULE B

MEDICARE BENEFITS SCHEDULE ITEMS WHERE A PRACTITIONER IS NOT ON SITE TO PROVIDE FACE-TO-FACE SERVICES AS AGREED UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH MEDICARE URGENT CARE CLINICS PROGRAM

For services listed in the below tables, all provisions of the Act and regulations made under the Act, and the National Health Act 1953 and regulations made under the National Health Act 1953, relating to medical services, professional services or items apply.

General Medical Services Table

Group

Group Name

Subgroup

Subgroup Name

Item Number

A40

Telehealth attendance services

1

 

General practice video services

 

91790, 91800, 91801, 91802, 91920

 

T4

Obstetrics

 

1

Obstetric video services

91853

 

 


SCHEDULE C

APPROVED PRACTICE LOCATIONS AS AGREED UNDER THE FEDERATION FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT

 

Approved primary care locations:

STATE

MMM 3 LOCATION

PRACTICE NAME

LEGAL NAME

STREET ADDRESS

TAS

Devonport

My Clinic Plus

The Trustee for My Clinic Plus Trust

127-133 Steele Street

DEVONPORT TAS  7310

 

 

Overview

The Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Services Rendered at Tasmania Urgent Care Clinics - Devonport) Direction (No.2) 2026 is an instrument issued under the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth). This direction aims to provide Medicare benefits for professional services rendered at urgent care clinics in Devonport, Tasmania, as part of the Commonwealth Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program. The direction repeals the previous direction issued in 2026 and sets out the specific services and conditions under which Medicare benefits will be payable. The enacting body is the Minister for Health and Ageing, acting under the authority of the Act, with the objective of ensuring that eligible patients receive appropriate medical services during the operating hours of these clinics. The direction specifies that Medicare benefits will be payable for professional services provided by registered general practitioners, prescribed medical practitioners, or participating nurse practitioners at approved locations during clinic hours, provided certain conditions are met. These include the absence of an in-person practitioner at the clinic and the exclusion of services provided as part of hospital treatment or public patient services. The direction also details the specific services and items covered under the general medical services, pathology services, and diagnostic imaging services tables, ensuring that all applicable provisions of the Act and related regulations are adhered to. This direction is effective from 1 July 2026 until 10 December 2026, unless earlier revoked.

Scope and Application

The Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Services Rendered at Tasmania Urgent Care Clinics - Devonport) Direction (No. 2) 2026 applies to professional services rendered under the Commonwealth Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program in Devonport, Tasmania. It is applicable to general practitioners, prescribed medical practitioners, and participating nurse practitioners registered to provide services under this program. The services must be provided during operational hours and to eligible patients who are not receiving hospital treatment or services attracting payments through Schedule L of the 2026-2031 National Health Reform Agreement for public patients. The Direction specifies the Medicare benefits payable for services rendered at approved practice locations listed in Schedule C. The Direction also repeals a previous Direction (No. 1) 2026 and is effective from 1 July 2026 until 10 December 2026 unless earlier revoked. It is subject to the definitions provided in the Health Insurance Act 1973 and Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021, and the items listed in Schedules A, B, and C.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this legislation concern the repeal of a previous direction and the establishment of a new direction for the payment of Medicare benefits for professional services rendered at Tasmania Urgent Care Clinics in Devonport. Specifically, Section 2 repeals the earlier directive and Section 3 establishes the new conditions under which Medicare benefits will be payable for professional services rendered under the Commonwealth Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program. These services must be provided at specific practice locations listed in Schedule C and by authorised practitioners registered under the program. The services covered include general medical services, pathology services, and diagnostic imaging services, as outlined in the schedules attached to the Direction. The obligations imposed by this Act on the parties it governs include ensuring that the professional services are provided by authorised practitioners and at approved locations, and that the services meet the specified criteria such as being provided during operational hours and to eligible patients who are not receiving services as part of an episode of hospital treatment or under other specific payment agreements. The Act also mandates that the services comply with the provisions of the Health Insurance Act 1973, the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021, and the National Health Act 1953. Furthermore, the Direction requires that the services must be rendered in the absence of a practitioner who can provide the service in person, as defined in paragraph (2)(c). Failure to comply with the provisions of this Direction may result in legal consequences. The specific offences and penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the text provided; however, it is implied that breaches of the Act or the Direction could lead to civil or criminal penalties as prescribed under the relevant legislation. The exact penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach, and could include fines or other sanctions as stipulated in the Health Insurance Act 1973 or other applicable laws.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.