Medicare extended to nurses, midwives
From 1 November, Australia’s health system extends Medicare into what has traditionally been doctors’ territory by paying benefits to nurse practitioners and midwives and their patients for the first time.
Although the number of nurses providing services on a fee-for-service basis in the private sector is expected to be small initially, the changes give nurse practitioners and midwives the potential income to operate outside the public system.
The Age reports Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, as saying the nurse and midwife changes are ”momentous… and a great day for patients who will be able to claim a rebate, and benefit from better access, closer to home in a wider range of settings”.
The nurses and midwives will also be able to prescribe a specific range of medicines that will attract Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidies in the same way as if prescribed by a doctor.
Nurse practitioners who have additional specialist qualifications will be able to get Medicare payments for providing services, such as seeing elderly patients at home, which previously would have required a doctor’s attendance to be reimbursed by Medicare.
The benefits payable by Medicare will range from $7.85 for a brief routine service to $47.90 for a consultation lasting at least 40 minutes.
Ms Roxon said the changes would give patients more choice in their primary health care provider, although the nurse practitioners and midwives would be required to work in collaboration with doctors.
Ms Roxon has released an official discussion paper on how a central element of its health reforms, Medicare Locals, will work.
