Category 4 - ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SERVICES
ON.1.2
Changes to the Scheme Effective from 1 November 2004
From 1 November 2004, access to Category 4 is restricted to those dental practitioners who were approved by the Minister prior to 1 November 2004. No new approvals will be granted after that date.
Background
Since 2000, practitioners performing oral and maxillofacial surgery in Australia are required to have both dental and medical qualifications in order to sit for their FRACDS(OMS) exam. This effectively means that since then, any practitioner who has obtained an FRACDS(OMS) or equivalent can access Category 3 of the MBS because they are medically qualified. The Government, in consultation with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the Australian Dental Association, the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons and the Australian Medical Association, has agreed that access by new practitioners to Category 4 will be withdrawn from 1November2004. Practitioners who were approved prior to that date will continue to have access to Category 4. The long-term proposal is that once all practitioners who currently access Category 4 have left the workforce, Category 4 will be removed from the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
Details of the services attracting Medicare benefits are set out in the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
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