📋 Sources: MBS Book July 2026 — AN.0.9, AN.7.2, MN.1.x. Health Insurance (GMST) Regulations 2021. RACGP GP Training program guidelines. NTCER 2026–2028 (v2026.1; GPRA/GPSA). Verify current item requirements at mbsonline.gov.au.
Before you see your first patient
1
Get your Medicare provider number for this practice
You need a location-specific provider number for each practice you work at. Your training organisation or practice manager usually organises this. Check it is active before you start. Without it, Medicare will reject your claims. Provider numbers take up to 2 weeks — start the process early.
Check via PRODA or call Services Australia: 132 150.
2
Confirm your supervision arrangement in writing
As a GP registrar you need a supervisor — a vocationally registered GP available to you throughout your session. Confirm: who your supervisor is for each session, how to reach them, whether they are on-site or contactable remotely, and the plan if they are unavailable. The MBS requires supervision to be in place — if your supervisor is unavailable and you see patients unsupervised, those claims are at risk.
3
Confirm you can access GP MBS items
As a registrar in an approved training placement, you can bill GP items (3, 23, 36, 44 etc.) — the same as a VR GP. Your training placement organisation must have notified Services Australia. If not done: your claims will be paid at the lower non-VR rate or rejected. Confirm with your practice manager before your first session.
4
Know your after-hours obligations
Your enterprise agreement (NTCER) specifies after-hours requirements. GP registrars in approved placements can access after-hours items 5000–5077 (non-urgent) and 585/588/591/594 (urgent after-hours, 7am–11pm). Item 599 (urgent unsociable hours, 11pm–7am) is also accessible. Confirm your practice's after-hours roster before you start.
Day-to-day billing
⚠️ The billing trap most registrars fall into: Seeing a long complex patient and billing item 23 (Level B, 5–25 min) when the consult took 35+ minutes. Bill the item that reflects the actual time. Under-billing doesn't protect you — it loses income and misrepresents your workload.
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Item 23 (Level B) — 5–25 min. Most common. Straightforward to moderate presentations.
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Item 36 (Level C) — 25+ min. Complex, multi-problem, or lengthy counselling.
CDM (965/967) — Chronic condition management plan/review. Cannot co-claim with a consult on the same day.
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MHTP (2715/2717) — Mental Health Treatment Plan/review. Registrars can do these.
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Health assessments (715/701–707) — Registrars can do these. Time-tiered from July 2025.
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Telehealth — Video: 91800 series. Phone: 91890/91891. Patient must have existing clinical relationship.
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Procedures — Skin biopsies, sutures, etc. use same procedure items as VR GPs.
Common scenarios
You don't need to know everything — you need to know what to do next. Acknowledge it honestly, tell the patient your plan (further review, tests, specialist input), document your reasoning, and follow up. Ask your supervisor. Saying “I'd like to look into this further” is good medicine.
Stop, slow down, ask for help. Let the patient know you'd like to consult a colleague, brief your supervisor, return with a plan. Don't push through something you're uncomfortable with. Bill Level C or D for the actual time spent. Document carefully.
Phone triage is a consult — document it. If you give advice that changes management, it's billable. For urgent after-hours: items 585/588/591/594. For unsociable hours (11pm–7am): item 599. If in doubt about patient safety, direct to the ED.
Don't apologise in a way that admits liability — but don't be defensive either. Acknowledge the concern, listen, offer to review. Notify your supervisor immediately. Contact your medical indemnity insurer if a formal complaint is made (MIPS: 1800 061 888 / Avant: 1800 128 268 / MDA: 1800 011 255).
Patient safety always overrides everything else. Consult your supervisor immediately. For immediate danger: call 000. For clinical near-miss: notify patient, notify supervisor, complete incident report, contact your training organisation and insurer. You cannot be penalised for raising safety concerns in good faith.
Key contacts
Medicare/MBS queries: 132 150 (ask for AskMBS advisory)
📤 For your supervisor — share these GPSA resources
If your supervisor or practice manager needs structured guidance for onboarding you, General Practice Supervision Australia (GPSA) — the peak body for GP supervision in Australia — has authoritative resources designed for exactly this:
These are supervisor-facing resources, free from GPSA. AskMyGP doesn't duplicate them — we focus on the registrar side (billing, exams, pay, indemnity).
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