Mbs reviews vitamin b12 testing report february 2014 table of contents section Page

APPENDIX 2 – Review Consultation Committee members

As part of the MBS Review process, the Department established a Review Consultation Committee (RCC). The RCC is a time-limited committee of nominated representatives to provide advice to the Department to inform the review process, such as the development of review reports, i.e. scope and protocol documents, clinical practice and policy issues.

Name	Representing
A/Prof Ken Sikaris	Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
A/Prof Hans Schneider	Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
Dr Zhong Lu	Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
Dr Paul Glendenning	Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
Dr Richard Whiting	Australian Medical Association
Dr Andrew Boyden	NPS Medicinewise
Dr Ie-Wen Sim	Endocrine Society of Australia
Dr Peter Harman	In-vitro Diagnostic (IVD) Australia
Dr Dan McLaughlin	Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists
Dr Walid Jammal	General Practitioner MSAC Evaluation Sub-Committee (ESC) member
Chair and Secretariat	Department of Health

APPENDIX 3 – MBS information

The MBS item numbers for vitamin B12 testing in scope of this review include 66599 and 66602 (see Table A3.1). Both of the items relate to testing serum vitamin B12 or testing red cell (or serum) folate. Both of the items are subject to Rule 21 (i.e. no more than three of any combination of these tests are eligible for Medicare subsidy per patient per year).
Table A3.1: Description of folate testing funded under the MBS

Item number	MBS item number description
66599	Serum B12 or red cell folate and, if required, serum folate (Item is subject to Rule 21) Fee: $23.60 Benefit: 75% = $17.70 85% = $20.10
66602	Serum B12 and red cell folate and, if required, serum folate (Item is subject to Rule 21) Fee: $42.95 Benefit: 75% = $32.25 85% = $36.55
Both of the items are subject to Rule 21: Serum B12 and red cell folate testing 21.(1) For items 66599 and 66602, a medicare benefit is not payable for more than 3 episodes of services described in item 66599 or 66602, or any combination of those items, in a 12 month period. 21.(2) A medicare benefit is not payable for a service described in item 66599 if the service was provided as part of the same patient episode as a service described in item 66602.

Source: Department of Human Services – Medicare Australia, accessed September 2013

Table A3.2 shows when the in-scope MBS item numbers were included on the MBS.

Table A3.2: Item number, descriptor and schedule fee start dates for MBS item numbers

MBS item number	Type of date	Date
66599	Item Start Date	01-Nov-1998
	Current Descriptor Start Date	01-Mar-1999
	Current Schedule fee start date	01-Jan-2013
66602	Item Start Date	01 Nov 1998
	Current Descriptor Start Date	01 Mar 1999
	Current Schedule fee start date	01-Jan-2013

Source: Department of Human Services – Medicare Australia, accessed September 2013