Do health practitioners need to comply with MBS telehealth item rules + continuous-care rules?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you claim MBS telehealth items. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Health practitioners), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Comply with MBS telehealth item rules + continuous-care rules. Medicare Benefits Schedule telehealth items require an established clinician–patient relationship (typically a face-to-face consultation in the prior 12 months). Limited exceptions for some specialties + populations.
Trigger: Providing a telehealth consultation.
Why health practitioners get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 34 of those industries the answer for "Comply with MBS telehealth item rules + continuous-care rules" is no. Health practitioners is one of the 1 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for health practitioners: Industry: Health practitioners; applies only if you claim MBS telehealth items.
About the industry: Registered health practitioners under the National Law.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in health practitioners with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Per consultation; recordkeeping.
- Evidence to keep
- Patient records demonstrating prior face-to-face contact; consultation notes.
- Maximum penalty
- Recovery of incorrect claims; Practitioner Review Program referral
- Regulator
- See source
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where health practitioners differ from the norm
- Comply with Medical Board CPD requirements (50 hours minimum): Yes
- Cosmetic surgery advertising standards (Medical Board reforms 2024-2025): Only if
- Cosmetic surgery practitioner endorsement (from 2025): Only if
- Maintain AHPRA registration and CPD: Yes
- Make mandatory notifications to AHPRA: Yes
- Notify the Coroner of a reportable death (state): Yes
- All 12 answers for health practitioners
Questions
- Do health practitioners need to comply with MBS telehealth item rules + continuous-care rules?
- Only if you claim MBS telehealth items. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Health practitioners), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 34 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Health practitioners is one of 1 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.