Upcoming MBS Telehealth Changes for Nurse Practitioners

This means nurse practitioner telehealth items will now be subject to the same eligibility and “12-month rule” requirements — unless a specific exemption applies. These changes were first proposed in the Post-Implementation Review of Telehealth MBS Items and have now been formalised in new legislative determinations.

Refer to the Upcoming eligibility changes to MBS Nurse Practitioner Telehealth Quick Reference Guide for more information. 

CNSA’s Position

CNSA participated in the 2023 Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Advisory Committee (MRAC) consultation and raised serious concerns about the potential impacts of these telehealth changes on people affected by cancer, particularly those in rural and regional areas.

In our submission, we highlighted that:

• Cancer patients living in rural, remote, or disadvantaged areas already face significant barriers to accessing specialist care — including cost, travel, and distance. Applying the “12-month rule” to nurse practitioners could limit access to timely cancer care for those unable to travel to a face-to-face appointment within the required timeframe.
• Tele-chemotherapy and tele-trial models have become essential for equitable access to treatment and clinical research. Restricting initial consultations to face-to-face settings will make these models harder to deliver and reduce participation in life-saving treatments and trials.
• Elderly, disabled, and immunocompromised patients—many of whom rely on nurse practitioner-led telehealth—may be disproportionately affected.
• We also noted that nurse practitioners play a critical role in continuity of care, and applying blanket eligibility rules risks undermining integrated, multidisciplinary care models that work effectively for cancer patients.

In recent weeks, CNSA has continued conversations with key stakeholders across the cancer control sector and the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners to support their policy impact statement and to coordinate advocacy efforts. We have emphasised that these telehealth restrictions conflict with the equity objectives of the Australian Cancer Plan and may unintentionally disadvantage people with cancer who rely on virtual access to care.

The ACNP has received a formal response from the Hon. Mark Butler, Minister for Health, Ageing and Disability, following their member survey, letter and Policy Impact Analysis outlining the urgent need to review the 12-month relationship MBS eligibility rule for Nurse Practitioner telehealth consultations and in his reply, Minister Butler confirmed that the Government would not delay implementation of the telehealth rule to enable a Commonwealth Policy Impact Analysis to be conducted.

Share Your Experience

CNSA will continue to explore pathways for exemption for people affected by cancer and will keep members informed of any progress. We encourage members to get in touch with CNSA to share their perspectives on how these MBS changes are affecting access and equity for people affected by cancer. Your experiences and data will strengthen our ongoing advocacy and ensure cancer nurses’ voices are heard in shaping future policy.

Contact: [email protected]