The Free Interpreting Service covers private medical practitioners â defined as GPs, nurse practitioners, endorsed midwives, and approved medical specialists â delivering Medicare-rebateable services to anyone eligible for Medicare. Your practice support staff can use the same client code to arrange appointments and relay results.
Immediate phone interpreting â call 1300 131 450, provide your client code and the language needed, and you're connected to an interpreter live. Available 24/7, 365 days a year, for the cost of a local call.
Pre-booked phone interpreting â for scheduled appointments where you want to guarantee availability in a specific language or dialect, book ahead through TIS Online.
Video interpreting (for telehealth) â TIS National supports video interpreting compatible with most third-party platforms including healthdirect Video Call, Zoom, Skype, and WebEx. Useful when you want the patient to see the interpreter, or when phone-only isn't suitable.
On-site (face-to-face) interpreting â for complex consultations where an in-person interpreter is more appropriate (e.g. detailed diagnosis discussions, sensitive topics, cognitive impairment). Requires advance booking and is less commonly available at short notice.
There's no special MBS item for using an interpreter. What changes is time â consultations with an interpreter usually take longer, so bill the item that reflects the actual time spent (standard Level B item 23, Level C item 36, or Level D item 44), not the item you'd use for the equivalent English-language consult.
The interpreting service itself is free to you and the patient â TIS National doesn't bill Medicare or the patient for the interpreting component.
More than 160 languages and dialects, with over 2,600 interpreters. Immediate phone interpreting is available for most common languages; less common languages or dialects may need pre-booking to guarantee availability.
Yes. TIS National provides spoken interpreting (live conversation). Written document translation (e.g. discharge summaries, referral letters into another language) requires a NAATI-certified translator â a separate service.
TIS National's policy is to connect you with the highest-credentialed interpreter available rather than a specific named person, for consistency and availability reasons. You can request a preferred gender of interpreter â mention this when booking, especially relevant for sensitive examinations or discussions.
Some cohorts (for example, recent arrivals from specific humanitarian intakes) have had eligibility extended without requiring Medicare evidence at the time of the consult â arrangements can change, so if in doubt, call the registration line to confirm current eligibility for your patient's situation.