Medicare Benefits Schedule - Note GN.5.15

A practitioner will be acting as an emergency medicine specialist when treating a patient within 30 minutes of  the patient's presentation, and that patient is

(a)        at risk of serious morbidity or mortality requiring urgent assessment and resuscitation; or

(b)        suffering from suspected acute organ or system failure; or

(c)        suffering from an illness or injury where the viability or function of a body part or organ is acutely threatened; or

(d)        suffering from a drug overdose, toxic substance or toxin effect; or

(e)        experiencing severe psychiatric disturbance whereby the health of the patient or other people is at immediate risk; or

(f)        suffering acute severe pain where the viability or function of a body part or organ is suspected to be acutely threatened; or

(g)        suffering acute significant haemorrhage requiring urgent assessment and treatment; and

(h)        treated in, or via, a bona fide emergency department in a hospital. 

Benefits are not payable where such services are rendered in the accident and emergency departments or outpatient departments of public hospitals. 

• Previous - Note GN.5.14
• Next - Note GN.5.16