In 2019 Telehealth is not a new concept in providing healthcare to remote or rural patients. Nowadays there are a number of solutions in which the adoption of technology to can be utilised. Telehealth simply put is transferring voice, data, images and information over short or long distances to provide or conduct health assessments. 

The International Organisation for Standardisation defines Telehealth as the ‘use of telecommunication techniques for the purpose of providing telemedicine, medical education, and health education over a distance’, while drawing a distinction between this and telemedicine, which is defined as the ‘use of advanced telecommunication technologies to exchange health information and provide health care services across geographic, time, social and cultural barriers’.

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Medicare allows telehealth for eligible patients access to specialists. There are a range of MBS attendance items with a derived fee added to the base item fee. 

Medicare eligibility requirements for telehealth services to support Indigenous health, including a case study. You can refer patients for a telehealth specialist video conference consultation if they’re:

• patients of an eligible Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS)
• patients of an eligible Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS)
• residents of a residential aged care facility (RACF) or
• living in a telehealth eligible area

Admitted hospital patients aren’t eligible for MBS telehealth services.

Only patients in eligible areas can access Medicare rebateable telehealth services. There must be at least 15km driving distance between the patient and specialist. 

Check telehealth eligible areas at DoctorConnect on the Department of Health website. To do this:

• select Search the map from the menu
• ASGC Remoteness Areas layer is already displayed in Choose your layer. Australian Standard Geographical Classification(ASGC) is a rating system for Remoteness Areas (RAs)
• enter the address of the patient’s location during the consultation
• select Search

Remoteness Area (RA) categories

• RA1 – Major Cities of Australia
• RA2 – Inner Regional Australia
• RA3 – Outer Regional Australia
• RA4 – Remote Australia
• RA5 – Very Remote Australia

Telehealth eligible areas are RA2 to RA5, outside of major cities (RA1). There are exceptions to this.

Exceptions are applicable for patients of an eligible:

• AMS
• ACCHS
• RACF

For more information about Medicare and Telehealth information visit:

http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/telehealth

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organisations/health-professionals/enablers/eligibility-telehealth/32796