Primary Care and Digital Health Support - July 2025

Are you ready for the Chronic Disease Management changes?

It’s time to prepare your general practice for changes to Chronic Conditions Management (CCM) MBS items. Chronic Conditions Management (CCM) MBS item changes recommended by the MBS Review Taskforce are ‘the first major change to chronic disease management in 20 years and are scheduled to come into effect 1 July 2025’.

A series of webinars funded by Country SA PHN commenced in May, providing an update about changes to Medicare Chronic Condition Management and Health Assessment activities for general practices.

Part 2: Preparing Your Practice for CDM Medicare Changes Webinars

• Tuesday 8 July
  Part 2: Best Practice Templates: Get Your Practice Ready for CDM Medicare Changes. Register now
• Wednesday 9 July
  Part 2: Medical Director Templates: Get Your Practice Ready for CDM Medicare Changes. Register now
• Thursday 10 July
  Part 2: Communicare Templates: Get Your Practice Ready for CDM Medicare Changes. Register now
• Tuesday 23 July
  Part 2: Zedmed Templates: Get Your Practice Ready for CDM Medicare Changes. Register now

Part 3: GP Chronic Condition Management Plans using Your Clinical Software Webinars

• Tuesday 5 August
  Part 3: GP Chronic Condition Management Plans in Best Practice: Step-by-Step Training. Register now
• Wednesday 6 August
  Part 3: GP Chronic Condition Management Plans in Medical Director: Step-by-Step Training. Register now
• Thursday 7 August
  Part 3: GP Chronic Condition Management Plans in Communicare: Step-by-Step Training. Register now
• Wednesday 13 August
  Part 3: GP Chronic Condition Management Plans in Zedmed: Step-by-Step Training. Register now

Recordings of the webinars can be accessed on the Country SA PHN Primary Care Portal.  To register, contact [email protected].

MBS Online has recently published a new factsheet outlining what the upcoming changes to Chronic Conditions Management (CCM) MBS items mean for other members of the general practice team that often play an important role in chronic condition management plans and ongoing care.

Overall, these changes are intended to modernise, streamline and simplify the MBS items for patients with a chronic condition.

The ability for Practice Nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners and Aboriginal Health Workers to assist in the preparation of a GPCCMP has been specified in the regulatory arrangements for the new items.

The nature of the services that can be provided using items 10997, 93201, 93202,10950, 81300, 93000, 93013, 93048 and 93061 are not changing as part of these reforms. However, there are changes to the item descriptors for these items because of the removal of GPMPs and TCAs, and commencement of GPCCMPs.

These changes:

• Allow patients that had a GPMP and/or TCA prior to 1 July 2025 to continue to access these services under those plans until 30 June 2027 (see separate factsheet on transition arrangements).
• Allow patients that have had a GPCCMP prepared or reviewed in the previous 18 months to access these services.

For services provided using MBS items 10950, 81300, 93000, 93013, 93048 and 93061, referrals written on or after 1 July 2025 will be in the form of a letter, not the form used previously. Referrals written before 1 July 2025 remain valid until all services under the referral have been provided (see separate factsheet on referral requirements).

For more information, MBS Online has released a selection of factsheets on changes to the MBS Chronic Disease Management Framework.

For support on MyMedicare and upcoming CCM Changes, please contact [email protected].

MBS Online has recently published factsheets on the new framework for chronic condition management from 1 July 2025. The changes simplify, streamline, and modernise the arrangements for health care professionals and patients.

Allied health professionals providing MBS services should be aware of the changes to plan and referral requirements.

Requirements for the GP or prescribed medical practitioner to collaborate with other members of the team when preparing or reviewing a patient’s plan have been removed. Patients will be referred directly to services. Allied health providers do not need to confirm their agreement to participate in the patient’s multidisciplinary team.

The nature of the individual and group allied health services that can be provided under the chronic condition management arrangements are not changing.

Transition arrangements will be in place for 2 years to ensure current patients do not lose access to services.

From 1 July 2025:

• GP Management Plans (GPMPs) and Team Care Arrangements (TCAs) will be replaced with a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP).
• Requirements for the GP or prescribed medical practitioner to collaborate with other members of the team when preparing or reviewing a patient’s plan have been removed. Patients will be referred directly to services. Allied health providers do not need to confirm their agreement to participate in the patient’s multidisciplinary team.
• Patients with a GPCCMP will be able to access individual allied health services, and for patients with type 2 diabetes only, group allied health services.
• Patients with a GPMP and/or TCA in place prior to 1 July 2025 can continue to access these services under those plans until 30 June 2027. Referrals written prior to 1 July 2025 remain valid until all services under the referral have been provided (see separate factsheet on transition arrangements).
• Allied health providers should be aware that referrals for allied health services written on or after 1 July 2025 must meet the new referral requirements (see separate factsheets on referrals and allied health services).
• All other MBS requirements of the existing allied health services are unchanged, including requirements to provide written reports to the referring medical practitioner.

For more information, MBS Online has released a selection of factsheets on changes to the MBS Chronic Disease Management Framework.

For support on MyMedicare and CCM Changes, please contact [email protected].

As described by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) Practice Stream “provides financial incentives to help general practices with the cost of engaging nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners.”

For more information about the WIP Practice Stream, click on the below resources:

• WIP Practice Stream: an overview
• WIP Practice Stream: program statistics 
• WIP Practice Stream: how it works
• WIP Practice Stream: guidelines

Should you need assistance please reach out to our Primary Care and Digital Support Team at [email protected].

Learn about electronic prescriptions and Active Script Lists, including what they are, how they work, and more information about how to use them in your practice, at the Australian Digital Health Agency website.

For support, please contact [email protected].

Flu Vaccination Recall Program for GP Practices is being offered to help practices improve flu vaccination rates for patients aged 65 years and over who are eligible for vaccination on the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

This patient recall program will enable General Practices to conduct an SMS recall of patients who are eligible for a free Influenza vaccination, funded on the National Immunisation Program (NIP). The SMS messages are funded by Country SA PHN. Register your interest.

The National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) will commence in July 2025, offering biennial low-dose CT scans to eligible asymptomatic individuals at high risk of lung cancer.

The Heart of Australia will deliver mobile lung cancer screening services to people living in some remote and rural locations.

Prepare for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program

• Using the resources available at the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
• Learn more about getting your practice ready with the Get your practice ready for the NLCSP checklist.
• Completing eLearning on the Lung Learning Hub website.
• Register on the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation website for notifications of when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources are available for the program
• Watch National Lung Cancer Screening Program Health Workforce Education Webinar on helping your practice integrate the program into its work.
• Registering and integrating your clinical software with the National Cancer Screening Register.
• Registering access to the Healthcare Provider Portal for GPs and practice staff that do not use compatible software.
• Reviewing and updating smoking histories in your clinical records to identify patients who could be eligible.

Wednesday 30 July 2025, 6pm – 9pm at Port Lincoln Hotel

Country SA PHN will provide the first of ten interactive events commencing in Port Lincoln in July to provide education and upskilling to General Practitioners, Practice Nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers on Bowel Cancer Screening, Cervical Self Collection Clinical Guidelines and GoShare. 

The sessions, which will be delivered in ten regions throughout country South Australia, will be face to face with an option to attend online. 

Dr Paul Spizzo, Consultant Gastroenterologist will be presenting on epidemiology, the rising incidence of bowel cancer in younger age groups, risk factors and screening guidelines. 

Recorded presentations will be provided by John Lee on how to use the National Cancer Screening Register, accessing the kits and Dr Rebecca Starkie will present on the new cervical screening guidelines and supporting your patients to make the choice.  

The event is free to attend, and dinner will be provided. Flyers will be provided soon.

This program is a collaboration between Country SA PHN and Preventative Health SA.