Has the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) been reviewed or updated?

Yes. The most recent Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review ran from 2015–2020.

The MBS Review Taskforce looked at more than 5,700 MBS items to see whether they needed to be amended, updated or removed.

The objectives of the review were to:

• update the MBS to reflect current medical practices and ensure patient safety
• increase consistency and clarity across the MBS
• promote better use of data and evidence to support MBS services.

The review collected feedback from thousands of stakeholders, which helped shape its final recommendations to the Australian government.

The MBS Taskforce delivered its final report in December 2020 and made nearly 1,400 recommendations to the Australian government.

The Australian government began responding to the Taskforce’s recommendations in 2016. It announces changes to the MBS progressively.

The MBS Continuous Review is the ongoing review of Medicare items and services by experts. Its purpose is to further high-quality care while remaining flexible and contemporary.