Medicubes

In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Chris and Riwka are joined by Louise Riley, Bianca McCulloch, Jacob Grooby, and Alexis Mohay from the Department of Health and Aged Care to discuss the latest changes to bulk billing and the launch of the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP).

The panel addresses common questions from registered practices, clarifying the practical and administrative impacts of the new incentive arrangements. Recorded live from a FAQ webinar session focused on supporting practice managers, owners, and clinical teams in understanding the changes necessary for successful implementation.

Key Points:

• Two Key Bulk Billing Changes: Explaining the distinction between the expanded bulk billing incentives (with increased eligibility for patients) and the new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP), which provides an additional 12.5% incentive payment for eligible practices.
• Eligibility and Registration: Practices can choose to participate in the BBPIP or continue with current billing arrangements. Registration for BBPIP is available via the MyMedicare portal from 1 November, with flexibility to join or withdraw later.
• Bulk Billing Item Requirements: Participating practices must bulk bill all General Practitioner Non-Referred Attendance (GP NRA) services for eligible patients. Procedures and other service types are exempt. Non-BBPIP practices can still claim standard bulk billing incentives as the eligibility criteria have been expanded.
• Triple Incentive Clarification: Not all incentive payments are tripled. Only those items previously eligible for the triple incentive will remain so; other items retain their current rate.
• Practice Management Systems: Software vendors will update items automatically, practices are advised to check for updates and retain concession card information for differential billing on non-bulk billed services.
• Administrative Arrangements and Errors: Minor administrative errors in billing will not result in the loss of the entire quarterly incentive payment. Corrections and adjustments can be made, and a small margin for error is allowed.
• Payments and Indexation: The 12.5% incentive is calculated on eligible GP NRA items and paid quarterly. The amount increases in line with MBS indexation, but the percentage itself remains static.
• Advertising and Signage: Participating practices must clearly advertise their bulk billing status, including updated signage (available to order via the Department’s website) and register details with Healthdirect.
• Non-Medicare Services and Private Billing: Practices may still privately bill for procedures or non-NRA services and set appropriate fees for non-MBS services (e.g. iron infusions).
• Compliance: The importance of using reliable, up-to-date resources and departmental FAQs to support team understanding and avoid misinformation.

Links & Resources:

• Cubiko FAQ webinar session: https://www.cubiko.com.au/resources/bb-incentive-faq/
• Cubiko’s Bulk Billing Incentive Resource Hub and Webinar Recordings: https://www.cubiko.com.au/blog/resource-group/bulk-billing-incentives/
• RACGP Resource Hub https://www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/advocacy-resources/november-changes-to-medicare
• DOHA Resource Hub: http://www.health.gov.au/BBPIP
• The Services Australia Health Professional Education website: https://hpe.servicesaustralia.gov.au/
• Government Resource: GP NRA Items: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/bulk-billing-practice-incentive-program-eligible-services?language=en
• RACGP Bulk Billing Incentive Fact Sheet: https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/Advocacy/Medicare/Appendix-A-Fact-sheet-Bulk-billing-incentives-since-1-Nov-2023.pdf

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Chris, Riwka, and Kim continue their conversation with Jo Winwood, focusing on social prescribing, aged care, and early intervention in primary care.

Providing a clear explanation of social prescribing, its origins in the UK, and how it relates to the broader concept of holistic, person-centred care. 

Key Points:

• Social Prescribing Defined: Social prescribing involves structured conversations with patients to identify what matters to them, what may be missing from their lives, and addressing social determinants of health as part of a broader care plan.
• Integration into Practice: The growing formalisation of social prescribing in Australian general practice, including references in care planning and including holistic, lifestyle-based factors in templates and patient reviews.
• Person-Centred Approach: Highlighting patient-driven goal setting, with examples showing that patients’ concerns often lie outside of clinical conditions and may relate more to isolation, loneliness, or lack of purpose.
• Practical Examples: Real-world examples of social prescriptions such as community gardening, cooking classes, and activities like Parkrun, which foster social connection and improve wellbeing.
• Self-care for Health Professionals: Encouraging practice staff to reflect on their own social connections and wellbeing, and the value of walking the talk to better understand and promote social prescribing benefits.
• Actionable Advice: Jo suggests individuals and practitioners undertake a personal stocktake to identify what matters most and what may be missing in their own lives, and to use this as a starting point.

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Riwka, Kim, and Chris are joined by Jo Winwood, Associate Director of Healthy Living and Ageing at Healthy North Coast. Discussing aged care in Australia, recent reforms driven by the Royal Commission, and the practical implications for general practice teams and their elderly patients.

Key Points:

• Jo’s Background: Jo’s transition from the corporate sector into aged care and her belief in the importance of dignity, visibility, and purpose for older Australians.
• Gaps in Aged Care: The traditional approach often left older people feeling like passive recipients of care, rather than active participants. Jo highlights the need for meaningful social connection to reduce feelings of invisibility and loneliness.
• Role of Primary Care: Emphasis for GPs, nurses, and practice managers to initiate aged care discussions earlier, integrate aged care pathways into care planning, and use regular assessments as opportunities to identify and support older patients at risk.
• Aged Care Changes: Outlining how the Royal Commission (started in 2018) led to 148 recommendations focused on consumer visibility, choice, and control and moving away from a provider-centric model to a rights-based system that emphasises dignity and independence.

Major System Changes:

• Access: Improved access points, and new referral pathways for primary care providers.
• Assessment: Shift to a single, unified assessment system for all consumers.
• Support at Home: Replacement of four-tiered home care packages with an eight-level Support at Home program, allowing greater flexibility and more rapid escalation of support as needs change.
• Special Pathways: Introduction of additional short-term support and end-of-life care packages, with roles for GPs and nurse practitioners in assessing and referring patients.

Links & Resources:

• My Aged Care: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/
• New Aged Care Act: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/about-us/legislation-and-policies/new-aged-care-act

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Riwka and Kim are joined by guest Anne Fidler to discuss Australia’s new national lung cancer screening programme and its implications for general practice.

Discussing the programme’s eligibility criteria, key statistics regarding lung cancer incidence and mortality, and the stigma faced by people with a current or past history of smoking. Anne shares her personal experiences as a lung cancer patient and advocate, along with the need for supportive, non-judgemental conversations in primary care settings.

Key Points:

• Programme Overview: Australia is set to launch a national lung cancer screening programme in July 2025. This is the first national cancer screening initiative introduced in nearly 20 years.
• Eligibility Criteria: The programme targets individuals aged 50 to 70 with a history of tobacco use (current or past), who are asymptomatic. A key measure is a “30 pack year” smoking history, but for practical purposes, clinicians can simply ask if the patient has been smoking for around 30 years. Those who quit in the last ten years remain eligible.
• Stigma in Healthcare: Stigma remains a major barrier to early detection. Many patients feel judged due to their smoking history, discouraging them from participating in screening or disclosing relevant behaviour.
• Language and Approach: The importance of using sensitive, open-ended questions about tobacco use and normalising screening conversations as a routine aspect of care, rather than targeting individuals.
• Community Engagement: On advocacy activities, including the Shine a Light Walk and community awareness events such as World Lung Cancer Day (1 August) and fundraising initiatives organised by the Lung Foundation.

For practice managers and general practice teams, they are encouraged to review internal language and processes to ensure patients feel supported and able to take part in life-saving screening without fear of stigma.

Links & Resources:

• https://lungfoundation.com.au/protect-your-lungs/national-lung-cancer-screening-program/
• https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-04/national-lung-cancer-screening-program-conversation-guide-discussing-participation.pdf 
• https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/nlcsp-reducing-stigma?language=en
• https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-06/national-lung-cancer-screening-program-low-dose-ct-request-form.pdf
• https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-04/national-lung-cancer-screening-program-reducing-stigma-in-the-nlcsp.pdf

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Kim and Riwka are joined by Dr Chris Bollen (Adelaide GP and Director of Bollen Health) and Jane Bollen (Primary Health Care Nurse Consultant) to discuss healthy ageing, focusing on primary care strategies for supporting muscle health, preventing frailty, and promoting independence from age 40 onwards.

Exploring the importance of addressing muscle health proactively, the role of GPs and nurses in screening for pre-frailty, and practical approaches for embedding evidence-based practices in health assessments.

Key Points:

• Frailty is not an inevitable part of ageing: Highlighting that frailty can be prevented and reversed with early intervention, and it should not be assumed as a normal consequence of ageing.
• Importance of muscle health: Loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) is a key factor in the development of frailty, and maintaining muscle strength is essential for prolonging independence and reducing complications.
• Simple interventions: Encouraging patients to perform simple strength exercises, such as regular sit-to-stands, and increasing dietary protein intake is said to be actionable self-management strategies.
• Patient-centred goals: Linking assessment and interventions to personal patient goals can improve engagement and drive meaningful behaviour change.
• Nutrition advice: Providing practical pointers for supporting protein intake and dispels myths about dietary restrictions in ageing, emphasising food-based approaches before supplementation.
• Reviewing current practice: Urges practices to focus on evidence-based assessments in health checks and care plans, instead of non-essential tests. Muscle health checks can be a valuable measure in nurse-led clinics and health assessments.

Providing primary care managers, nurses, and GPs with practical considerations for implementing muscle health initiatives and reframing healthy ageing as a core component of preventive care.

Link & Resources:

• Frailty Brochure
• RACGP Red Book- Frailty
• RACGP Silver Book
• Asia Pacific Clinical Practice Guidelines for Frailty 2017

Nutrition Assessment

• MNA

Dietitian Connection

• Malnutrition Resources for Patients
• Are you getting enough protein?
• 10 ways to get more protein.
• Protein Counter

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

Mentioned in this episode:

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Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, Chris, Riwka, Kim are joined live at the Best Practice Summit 2025 by Craig Hodges (CEO, Best Practice), Janice Tan (GM of Clinical at Bupa), Steven Kaye (GP and RACGP committee member), Jaspreet Saini (GP and Chief Medical Officer, HotDoc), and Kylie Payne (CEO, Interconnect Healthcare). The panel explores the primary care landscape, with a focus on technology-enabled practice management, digital health, and the practical implications for practice managers working in Australian general practice.

Key Points:

• Celebrating Progress: Recognising recent “bright spots” in primary care, including rapid digital transformation during COVID-19, especially the adoption of eScripts, and the increasing role of AI technology.
• Integrating AI: Discussing practical examples of AI benefiting general practice, all while maintaining a patient-centred approach.
• Challenges and Risks: Addressing barriers to digital adoption in primary care. The lack of comprehensive regulation and standards around AI in Australia is also noted as a current concern for clinical safety and governance.
• Access and Continuity: They highlight rising wait times for appointments and shifting patterns of patient access. The tension between continuity and convenience is a central theme, with technology proposed as a bridge to close this gap.
• Role of Education: Emphasising the need for ongoing education of all practice staff, across clinical and administrative roles, as essential to prevent practices and patients being left behind in the rapid digital transformation of primary care.
• Collaborative Projects: Initiatives like the SPARK project are presented as examples of industry collaboration, aiming to align data collection across the healthcare sector to facilitate more integrated and patient-centred care.
• Looking Forward: Discussing what’s possible in the next five years, advocating for digital solutions that maintain a balance between technological advancement, sustainability, and optimal patient outcomes.

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Healthengine today!

Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Kim, Chris, and Riwka are joined by Melissa Freeman, Managing Director and Lead Nurse at Port Macquarie's Wound Care Clinic, to discuss the new National Wound Consumables Scheme. Addressing eligibility, access, training requirements, and the anticipated patient and health system benefits associated with this programme.

Melissa outlines the historical context behind the scheme, highlighting the significant prevalence of chronic wounds in Australia and the considerable financial burden placed on patients and the health system. She explains the intent to fill a gap for patients who do not otherwise qualify for wound consumables under aged care, NDIS, or DVA funding.

Key Points:

• Background: The Chronic Wound Consumables Scheme addresses the needs of the estimated 500,000 Australians living with chronic wounds, mitigating financial barriers to good wound care.
• Eligibility: At present, the scheme is available to people with diabetes with a wound present for over 30 days, aged 65+ (or 50+ for First Nations), not receiving wound care funding via NDIS, aged care, or DVA.
• Access & Training: Registered nurses in general practice must complete a free training module via Monash University, typically taking 1–2 hours. The course counts towards CPD hours.
• Ordering: Consumable orders are placed via the PRODA system, with practice-based protocols suggested for managing supplies allocated to individual patients.
• Impact: The scheme aims to prevent complications, hospitalisations, and downstream costs. Good wound care and prevention are expected to reduce system burden.
• Privacy: Only essential patient identifiers (e.g., name, Medicare number) are required for registration; no additional clinical information is supplied to the system.
• Future Expansion: There is hope for eligibility to expand to include people with other chronic diseases or those ages under 65 in the future.

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Healthengine today!

Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Riwka and Kim are joined by Samuel Johnson, Australian actor and founder of the charity “Love Your Sister”, to discuss the evolving landscape of precision medicine in cancer care and the importance of equitable access for all patients.

Samuel shares his personal motivation for advocating precision medicine, detailing his late sister’s experiences with cancer and her early efforts to secure access to breakthrough treatments. Talking about the science and practice of precision medicine – formerly termed personalised treatment and targeted therapy – focusing on genomics-led approaches that match cancer treatment to an individual's tumour profile. 

Key Talking Points:

• Personal Motivation: Samuel Johnson’s advocacy for precision medicine is shaped by his sister’s multiple cancer diagnoses, and her legacy in driving public and political attention towards cancer research and innovation.
• Evolution of Precision Medicine: Precision medicine uses genomic testing to match patients with the most effective and targeted treatments, reducing reliance on trial-and-error approaches.
• Impact for Patients: This approach reduces the delay from diagnosis to effective treatment, improves patient outcomes, and can lower overall health system costs by avoiding ineffective therapies.
• Professional and Public Advocacy: Samuel emphasises the value of healthcare professionals raising awareness among patients and communities, the importance of patients advocating for themselves in clinical decision-making, and the need for ongoing education about advances in cancer care.
• Future Outlook: Considers the possibility of making precision medicine standard of care within the next 15–20 years.
• Community Support: How we can support “Love Your Sister” through awareness, community engagement, and advocacy, with a focus on education rather than direct financial appeals.

Links & Resources:

• Love Your Sister: https://www.loveyoursister.org
• Australian Story episode on Samuel Johnson: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/australian-story/series/2025/video/NC2502Q014S00 
• Recent precision medicine funding announcement: https://www.omico.com.au/news/5132/ 

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Healthengine today!

Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Chris, Riwka, and Kim discuss the recent changes to chronic condition management plans in general practice, with a particular focus on implications for Allied Health professionals.

Outlining the transition from the previous GP Management Plan (GPMP) and Team Care Arrangement (TCA) system to the new, single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP). These changes, effective from 1 July, are designed to simplify processes for general practice and allied health providers alike. They also address the practical consequences of these changes, referrals, compliance requirements, billing, and ongoing communication between GPs and Allied Health.

Key Talking Points:

• Referral Process Simplified: The traditional TCA referral forms have been phased out. Referrals to allied health professionals are now via standard referral letters stating the allied discipline, rather than naming individual providers or specifying the exact number of visits.
• Number of Visits: There is no longer a requirement for referrals to specify or limit the number of allied health sessions; patients have the flexibility to determine which providers and services they access, within their annual limit of five Medicare-funded allied health visits.
• Patient Responsibility: Patients hold greater responsibility for tracking their five eligible allied health services per calendar year, regardless of discipline, similar to private health insurance claiming processes. 
• Transition Arrangements: Existing TCA referrals remain valid until 2027, and no immediate replacement is needed for allied health service delivery if patients already have valid arrangements in place prior to 1 July.
• Reporting Requirements: Allied health providers must report outcomes back to the GP at the end of the referred service(s), utilising electronic communication where possible to ensure records are accurate and up to date.
• Impact on Billing Practices: With increased patient autonomy over service usage, allied health providers may need to review their billing practices, particularly regarding bulk billing versus private billing, as providers will not be reimbursed by Medicare if the patient’s annual allocation has already been used.
• Administrative Advice: Allied health providers and their teams should familiarise themselves with the new referral format, update their internal systems for tracking Medicare service usage, and ensure all staff communicate these changes effectively to patients.

For further details, including electronic referral compatibility and group item number specifics, please refer to the video episode on the GPCCMP Knowledge Hub here: https://www.cubiko.com.au/gpccmp/

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Healthengine today!

Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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In this episode of Medicubes, hosts Riwka, Kim, and Chris outline the upcoming changes to chronic disease management and care planning in general practice, focusing on the shift from the traditional CDM (Chronic Disease Management) items to the new GPCCMP (General Practice Chronic Condition Management Plan) items effective 1st July.

They target primary care Practice Managers and team members preparing for these changes, summarising implications for workflows, patient eligibility, and Medicare billing.

Key Points:

Transition to New Item Numbers:

• From 1st July 2025, existing MBS CDM items (721, 723, 732) will be replaced by new GPCCMP items—965 (preparation of a new plan) and 967 (reviews). The new system removes the old team care arrangement structure.
• The same Medicare rebate amount applies to both the care plan and reviews: $156.55 for VR GPs and $125.30 for non-VR GPs.

Bulk Billing Incentive Changes:

• A single bulk billing incentive applies to eligible patients, with expanded eligibility from 1 November. Practices should be mindful of the distinction between single and triple incentives depending on the item billed.

Team Assisting with Care Planning:

• Nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, and Aboriginal health workers can assist in the development of care plans.
• Ongoing involvement of nurses is encouraged, with structured check-ins possible between three-monthly reviews.

Patient Eligibility and MyMedicare Registration:

• Eligibility for GPCCMP remains the same as for CDM—patients with a chronic or terminal medical condition (six months or longer).
• A key change is restriction via MyMedicare registration: once a patient is registered to a practice, they can only access care plans from that practice.

Transition Considerations:

• Existing CDM plans remain valid for allied health referrals for 12 months post transition.
• Practices should be aware of co-claiming restrictions (consultation items cannot be claimed at the same time as care planning items).

If you’re after some tips or inspiration on managing change, we had some brilliant chats with Dr Maria Bolton (Episode 33) and Dr Jaspreet Saini (Episode 34) on the Medicubes podcast. Both episodes are well worth a listen!

Links & Resources:

• https://www.cubiko.com.au/gpccmp/

The episode reinforces the importance of quality improvement, teamwork, and taking a flexible, patient-centred approach to the new system.

Medicubes is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Healthengine today!

Healthengine is a proud sponsor of the Medicubes podcast. Our easy-to-integrate, and even easier to use, technology helps boost your digital presence, grow your patient base, maximise your practice efficiency and build deeper relationships with your patients. Learn more

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