We advise keeping up to date with the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the criteria for the codes you use and familiarising yourself with the conditions mentioned in the appendix documents for each code.
We also suggest you are familiar with RANZCP recommendations, particularly re: use of the 291 code, found on the RANZCP website.
Call to Mind processes billing each weekday. The pay cycle reflects the billings received during the previous two weeks. If billings are not received by the second Friday (due to not receiving billing instructions or Medicare delays), they will be paid during the next pay cycle. Payments to clinicians are processed every second Wednesday. Please note that most third party payers have a 30 day turn-around.
Call to Mind collects all patient fees for your consultations from various providers, and at the end of each billing cycle, issues an invoice on your behalf for the agreed service fee. Call to Mind then pays you the remaining balance via direct deposit to your bank account. Clinicians will also receive a document detailing their corresponding patient billings for that period.
Private billing patients are billed during the week prior to their appointment and any Medicare rebates are processed after the appointment has taken place. If there is a change to the billing (eg. from a 306 to a 304), the patient will be refunded the difference. If the patient does not attend, the DNA fee is deducted, and they are refunded the difference. Call to Mind pre-bill your patients based on the length of the appointment booked. If a patient is booked for a 30 minute consult, we have quoted and charged for this. If you require an additional fee if the appointment runs overtime, please ensure this is discussed with the patient in the consultation to ensure we have obtained informed financial consent.
Any suggestions about codes we offer are just that; it is the clinician’s responsibility to ensure they are compliant with the MBS requirements. With that in mind, here are some common queries about aspects of MBS billing:
– Private billing is suggested for all patients. As a practice we do not set fees; we have a suggested upper limit to fees that is set below AMA rates. As part of the financial consent process with patients, we provide them with details of these maximum fees. Each individual clinician is welcome to set their own fees, simply advise our admin staff of this. See the separate maximum private rates document for reference.
– Follow up appointments are available using the 293 code. This appointment requires a re-referral from the GP, asking for a review of the 291 appointment. Please include this in your 291 report as a suggestion or instruct the patient to discuss this with their GP. We will not automatically book the patient in if not re-referred or chase a re-referral.
– Make sure the notes and letters reflect the criteria for the 291 code, found on the MBS Online website.
– NOTE: MBS specifies 291 reports should be completed and returned within a maximum of 2 weeks; we recommend a maximum of 5 days.