MBS Review Taskforce Newsletter
Message from the Chair
Welcome to the fourth issue of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Newsletter.
I’m very pleased to report that the first tranche of clinical committees are finalising their initial recommendations, and in some cases, focusing on MBS items where they see the need for improvements and where there are wide variations in practice.
The first committees include Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery; Obstetrics; Thoracic Medicine; and Gastroenterology. Their recommendations will be available for public consultation.
The Diagnostic Imaging and Pathology committees will continue through the year as they represent a very large component of MBS items.
Following the commencement of the second tranche of committees (see below) we expect that around 20 more clinical committees plus additional working groups will review MBS services relevant to their disciplines.
I expect that we will have more than 500 clinicians directly involved in the review – and I’m extremely pleased to see such engagement and commitment from the profession.
I’m also pleased that health consumers are contributing to the deliberations of the Review through participation in clinical committees, the Taskforce, as well as consultation forums. The insights and experiences of patients, and their carers, will help us discontinue low-value care and ensure that high-value services underpin the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
Bruce Robinson
Clinical committee update
The first committees will soon finalise their recommendations and release for public consultation. Here are some of the items being considered.
- Diagnostic Imaging CC has set up working groups on knee imaging, imaging for pulmonary embolism and DVT, bone densitometry, and nuclear medicine.
- The ENT committee has completed its priority review of tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and grommet surgery.
- Gastroenterology has prioritised reviews of colonoscopies, Upper GI endoscopy and capsule endoscopies.
- The Obstetrics Committee is reviewing the items to align better with clinical practice and eliminating ambiguous item descriptors.
- Sleep studies and Spirometry are the priority reviews for the thoracic Medicine Committee.
Appropriate Use Criteria
The Taskforce considered a paper by Professor Elshaug of the Menzies Centre for Health Policy, and agreed to adopt ‘Appropriate Use Criteria’ to guide MBS item review and refinement.
This will mean that from now on clinical committees will adopt a consistent methodology for evaluating MBS items.
The Review requires detailed clinical deliberations and judgements to be properly documented and form the basis for better articulated revisions to MBS item descriptors and fees.
Obsolete items
Thank you to all those who provided comments on the MBS items that clinical committees identified as obsolete.
Your feedback was extremely valuable on the 23 items recommended for removal from the MBS. The clinical committees and the Taskforce have reviewed the feedback, and have made recommendations to Government.
Conferences and presentations
Around 40 people from medical colleges and associations received an update on the progress of the MBS Review.
Review Chair Bruce Robinson spoke of how the Taskforce will manage the workload of reviewing over 5,700 items, the vital role of the clinical committees, and the extensive data and evidence reviews already being analysed.
He spoke of the importance of reducing low-value health care to make room within the MBS for high-value care that is to the benefit of patients, and to the health care system more generally.
Throughout 2016 there will be regular consultations and public consultation will follow recommendations from Clinical Committees. That feedback will be considered by the clinical committees and taskforce before recommendations are made.
The Taskforce will continue its engagement across the health sector through a series of stakeholder forums, and through presentations and Q&A sessions at health sector conferences.
If you’d like to hear in more detail about the work of the MBS Review Taskforce, please let us know by emailing the MBS Reviews Unit.
New Clinical Committees announced
The second tranche of Clinical Committees has commenced their work and were welcomed by the Taskforce Chair at their formal induction.
The committees are: Cardiac Services; Dermatology, Allergy & Immunology; Endocrinology; Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine; Oncology, and Renal.
Typically the committee’s work will take six to nine months including intensive review, public consultations and recommendations to the Taskforce and Minister.
From left: Dr Bruce Barraclough, Prof Alan Cass, Dr Richard Harper, Prof Bruce Robinson, Dr Sally McCarthy, Dr Stephen Schumack (Prof Jonathan Serpell attended by phone).
Cardiac Services
Chair: Dr Richard Harper
Associate Professor Andrew MacIsaac
Dr David Muller
Professor Derek Chew
Professor Tom Marwick
Associate Professor John Atherton
Dr Ruth Arnold
Professor Paul Bannon
Associate Professor Jayme Bennetts
Dr Ian Scott
Professor Mark Harris
Dr Daniel Moses
Ms Karen Carey
Dermatology, Allergy & Immunology
Chair: Dr Stephen Shumack
Dr Elizabeth Willsteed
Dr Phillip Bekhor
Dr David Heyworth-Smith
Professor Morton Rawlin
Dr Joanne Smart
Dr Charles Cope
Mr Adam Friederich
Endocrinology
Chair: Professor Jonathan Serpell
Professor Timothy Davis
Professor Duncan Topliss
Associate Professor Roderick Clifton-Bligh
Professor Stan Sidhu
Dr Christopher Pyke
Mr Peter Malycha
Dr Suzanne Silberberg
Dr Allan Wycherly
Ms Helen Maxwell-Wright
Ms Janne Graham
Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
Chair: Dr Sally McCarthy
Membership yet to be confirmed
Oncology
Chair: Dr Bruce Barraclough
Dr Liz Kenny
Professor Michael Barton
Professor Christobel Saunders
Ms Maree Bransdon
Dr Bruce Latham
Professor Sandra O'Toole
Associate Professor Roslyn Francis
Dr Elizabeth Marles
Dr Justin Tse
Professor John Zalcberg
Professor David Thomas
Associate Professor Chris Milros
Dr Catherine Mandel
Professor Guy Maddern
Dr Mustafa Khasraw
Dr Phillip Carson
Professor Sanchia Aranda
Mr John Stubbs
Ms Kathy Wells
Professor Bruce Mann
Renal Medicine
Chair: Professor Alan Cass
Ms Alison Marcus
Dr Paul Snelling
Professor Peter Kerr
Associate Professor Martin Gallagher
Professor Matthew Jose
Professor Stephen McDonald
Dr Troy Kay
Dr Amanda Walker
Professor Tim Usherwood
Professor Kirsten Howard
Dr Neil Boudville
Associate Professor Robyn Langham
For more information
If you’d like an update on the work of the MBS Review Taskforce, please let us know by emailing the MBS Reviews Unit or visiting the website.
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