Category 8 - MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
MN.14.16
Requesting requirements
Pathology Services
Determination of Necessity of Service
The participating nurse practitioner requesting a pathology service for a patient must determine that the pathology service is necessary.
Request for Service
The service may only be provided in response to a request from the treating practitioner and the request must be in writing (or, if oral, confirmed in writing within fourteen days).
Pathology Services approved for participating nurse practitioners
Nurse practitioners may request MBS pathology items in any Groups P1 to P8 or any of items 73826 to 73837 of the pathology services table. Requesting pathology services must be within the nurse practitioner's scope of practice.
Further information
For further information about Medicare Benefits Schedule items, please refer to the Department of Health and Aged Care's website at www.health.gov.au/mbsonline.
Diagnostic Imaging Services
Determination of Necessity of Service
The participating nurse practitioner requesting a diagnostic imaging service for a patient must determine that the diagnostic imaging service is necessary for the appropriate professional care of the patient.
Request for Service
The service may only be provided in response to a request from the treating nurse practitioner, and the request must be in writing, signed and dated. The legislation provides that a request must be in writing and contain sufficient information, in terms that are generally understood by the profession, to clearly identify the item/s of service requested. This includes, where relevant, noting on the request the clinical indication(s) for the requested service. The provision of additional relevant clinical information can often assist the service provider, and enhance the overall service provided to the patient.
It is not necessary that a written request for a diagnostic imaging service be addressed to a particular provider or that, if the request is addressed to a particular provider, the service must be rendered by that provider.
A single request may be used to order a number of diagnostic imaging services. However, all services provided under this request must be rendered within seven days after rendering the first service.
Further Information
For further information on Medical Benefit Schedule items nurse practitioners can request for Diagnostic Imaging services please refer to note IN.0.6, which can be found here.
Legend
- Assist - Addition/Deletion of (Assist.)
- Amend - Amended Description
- Anaes - Anaesthetic Values Amended
- Emsn - EMSN Change
- Fee - Fee Amended
- Renum - Item Number Change (renumbered)
- New - New Item
- NewMin - New Item (previous Ministerial Determination)
- Qfe - QFE Change