Medicare changes from 1 July

From 1 July a number of changes will be made to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), which are designed to better reflect contemporary clinical practice, promote high value care and cover a range of clinical areas including general and orthopaedic surgery and cardiac services.

Importantly, health providers will continue to receive a higher rebate under DVA arrangements than they receive under the MBS and are not permitted to charge co-payments to DVA clients. 

DVA clients are encouraged to continue to show their Veteran Gold and White Cards when visiting a health professional to ensure they are not charged a co-payment.

This is part of the Government’s progressive implementation of the recommendations of the MBS Review Taskforce and will flow through to DVA’s funding arrangements for medical services, which mirror the arrangements under the MBS.

These changes to the MBS will help ensure veterans receive high quality, clinically appropriate services to improve their health and wellbeing with DVA clients still able to access DVA funded health treatments, where eligible.