Clients who have a chronic (or terminal) medical condition and complex care needs, requiring a multidisciplinary approach

MBS item 10952

The client must be referred by their GP using the ‘Referral Form for Chronic disease Allied health (individual) Services under Medicare’. This can be downloaded here.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have had a health check.

MBS item 81310

Audiology health service provided to a person who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent by an eligible audiologist. A ‘Referral form for Follow-up Allied health Services under Medicare for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ must be completed by a GP who has conducted a health check consistent with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medicare health checks. This can be downloaded here.

Children with Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder or an eligible disability. Children must be aged under 13 for diagnosis services and aged under 15 for treatment services.

MBS items 82030 and 82035 

Item number 82030 is for assessment and item number 82035 is for early intervention treatment services.

A current referral by an eligible medical practitioner is required. Children can access the autism Medicare services providing they have not already accessed services under the Better Start for Children with a Disability initiative and providing they meet the requirements of each service.

Patients with potential medical conditions (ear disease or related disorders) including patients whose hearing loss may be able to be corrected by surgery or medical intervention.

Diagnostic Audiology Services

MBS items 82300, 82306, 82309, 82312, 82315, 82318, 82324, 82327 and 82332

Diagnostic audiology services, as specified in the written request from the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist or Neurologist. A request may be for more than one service making up a single audiological assessment, but cannot be for more than one audiological assessment.

Children under the age of six with an eligible disability.

Better Start Iniative

Eligible disabilities are;

• Cerebral palsy
• Deafblindness
• Down syndrome, including mosaic Down syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome with full mutation
• Hearing impairment
• Sight impairment
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Williams syndrome
• Angelman syndrome
• Kabuki syndrome
• Smith-Magenis syndrome
• CHARGE syndrome
• Cornelia de Lange syndrome
• Rett’s Disorder
• Cri du Chat syndrome; or
• Microcephaly

Children registered with Better Start can access up to $12,000 (maximum $6,000 per year) to pay for early intervention services. These services include:

• audiology
• occupational therapy
• orthoptics
• physiotherapy
• psychology and
• speech pathology.

Up to 35% of a child’s Early intervention Funding may be used to purchase resources, to a maximum of $2,100 per financial year, or $4,200 in total.

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme

The objective of the IAHP is to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with access to effective high quality, comprehensive, culturally appropriate, primary health care services in urban, regional, rural and remote locations across Australia. This includes through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, wherever possible and appropriate, as well as services across the entire health system that deliver comprehensive, culturally appropriate primary health care.

Individuals may apply for funding through Grant Connect. Activities eligible for grant funding include clinical services provided by AHPs. For more information, follow this link.

People who have recieved a voucher from the Office of Hearing Services.

Hearing Services Program

This program helps eligible people with the cost of hearing services, assessments and devices. Under this program, accredited hearing service providers may claim payments for providing hearing products and services to eligible people who have received a voucher from the Office of Hearing Services. The Hearing Services Program is managed by the Office of Hearing Services in the Department of Health. Follow this link to view the Schedule of Fees or click here for their website.

People living in rural and remote locations, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, for the treatment of eye and hearing health.

Eye and Ear Surgical Support Services

Eye and Ear Surgical Support Services (EESSS) is a Commonwealth Department of Health funded program, and forms part of CheckUP’s Outreach programs. The EESSS program aims to improve access to eye and ear surgical services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, prioritising people living in rural and remote locations, for the treatment and management of their eye and hearing health conditions. This support is in the form of reimbursement, not lump sum payments.

The allocation decisions for this funding are made by the Department of Health and based primarily on identified service gaps. CheckUP is the regional fundsholder for this program. To begin the application process for this funding, fill out an Expression Of Interest form on their website. You are able to contact CheckUP through their website for support and guidance on this process.

For more information on CheckUP’s outreach programs, visit their website.

Indigenous children and youth under 21 years of age.

Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening (HE-BHBL)

The aim of the Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening Program is to increase access to a range of health services including expanded primary health for Indigenous children and youth (0-21 years) for the diagnosis, treatment and management of ear and hearing health. This support is in the form of reimbursement, not lump sum payments.

All funded services delivered in Queensland are required to be aligned to the Queensland Government’s 10 year policy to improve the ear and hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children—Deadly Kids, Deadly Futures 2016-2026—and the National Otitis Media Guidelines.

Service priorities are early childhood (preschool); and/or school surveillance programs. Preference will be given to providers who can demonstrate effective referral pathways, information sharing strategies and opportunities to provide ear health education which strengthen community capacity for better hearing.

CheckUP is the regional fundsholder for this program. To begin the application process for this funding, fill out an Expression Of Interest form on their website. You are able to contact CheckUP through their website for support and guidance on this process.

For more information on CheckUP’s outreach programs, visit their website.