For some reason this information has been incredibly hard to obtain. One would have expected organisations like the AMA to have published graphs showing the failure of the the MBS item numbers to keep up with inflation. Anyone with a modicum of suspicion might think that the information has been kept obscured.

The relative values of these fees in relationship to inflation, can be examined by using the calulator at the Reserve Bank of Australia website.

For example, an $8.20 Medibank rebate in 1976, had it been properly indexed with inflation, was worth $48.85 in 2015.

Past Changes (and those proposed) to the MBS Schedule

2015 - Indexation of MBS fees for GP services was paused for three years from 1st July 2015 to 1st July 2018

2014 - Proposed: the introduction of a $7 patient copayment for GP, pathology and imaging services; and an increase in the copayment for subsidised prescribed medications. Withdrawn in Dec 2014, but proposed

• A 10 minute minimum consultation for level B retracted Jan 2015
• A $5 reduction in the Medicare rebate for "common GP consultations" for non-concessional patients to commence 1 July 2015, retracted in March 2015.
• A sugegsted gap payment for GPs to charge non-concessional patients to offset the reduction

2010-2011 - Increase in MBS fees for long and extended GP consultations

2008 - 1 November 2008. Two new items for urgent out of surgery attendances were created for use during 'transitional hours', which are 6-8pm on weekdays and 12-1pm on Saturdays. Item numbers being: 603 for general practitioners (rebate $87.50) and 696 for other medical practitioners (rebate $67.00). Where applicable, bulk billing incentive items 10990 or 10991 could be claimed with the transitional hours items.

2001-2008 - Introduction of rebates for annual assessments of patients with intellectual disabilities. Additional item nubers for urgent out-of-surgey visits

2007 - On 1 March 2007, a number of minor changes were made to the emergency after-hours MBS items for GP's (items 1, 2, 601 & 602) Other Medical Practitioners (items 97, 98, 697 & 698) and sports physicians (items 448 & 449) including

• replaced the term "emergency" with the term "urgent";
• allowed requests for urgent attendances, including surgery consultations, to be taken up to two hours prior to commencement of an after-hours period; and
• allowed regular providers of after-hours services to use the urgent after-hours home visit items.

2006-2007 - Exapnsion od access to allied health practitioners through the MBS

2004-2005 - Higher rebaters for after-hours Gp services introduced

2003-2004 - Incentives to bulk-bill children inder 16 and card-holders introduced. private health insurance rebate introduced.

2001-2002 - Increased benefits payable for GP services out-of-hours.
MBS items introduced for

• GP mental health care
• domicillary medication reviews
• asthma management plans

1999-2000 -Introduction of MBS items for

• Co-ordinated care planning, multidisciplinary care plans, case conferencing
• 75+yo health assessments

1997-1998 - Benefits reduced for subsequent patients seen at a single house call.

Introduction of means testing for private health insurance.