Medicare can feel complicated, particularly when you start navigating item descriptors, scheduled fees, benefit rates, and the rules around claiming. But understanding the fundamentals makes it much easier to see how the different pieces fit together.

Welcome to this first episode of Medicare Explained — a new HealthCert Education podcast series for GPs. In the first episode, skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard go back to basics, looking at what Medicare actually is, how it operates as a government-funded insurance system, and the distinction between a scheduled fee, a Medicare benefit, and the fee charged by a practitioner.

They also unpack the role of MBS item descriptors and why providing a service is not, by itself, enough to claim a Medicare benefit. The service must meet the requirements of the relevant descriptor, with clinical notes providing an important record of what was done.

The discussion also explores explanatory notes, benefit rates, and the distinction between patient-initiated consultations and health screening services, including how this applies to skin cancer assessment in primary care.

This episode sets the groundwork for the rest of the series, which will progressively explore consultations, investigation items, procedures, billing, and the medico-legal considerations GPs need to understand when working within the Medicare system.

Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here.

Links discussed in this episode

• MBS Online: https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/

• Understanding Medicare Provider Handbook: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/understanding-medicare-provider-handbook.pdf

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This HealthCert Education podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice.

Choosing the correct Medicare item number for a consultation is not always straightforward, particularly when appointment lengths vary or a patient needs an additional skin check.

In this second episode of Medicare Explained, skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard explore the Medicare item numbers commonly used for GP consultations, including in skin cancer medicine. They break down the criteria for standard consultations (item 23), longer consultations (item 36), and short consultations (item 3).

The discussion examines what distinguishes these item numbers, why time spent with the patient matters, and how practice appointment schedules can support appropriate billing. They also discuss consultation documentation, tracking appointment times, and the potential compliance concerns associated with claiming longer consultation items.

For GPs working in general practice and skin cancer medicine, understanding these distinctions can help clarify how consultation item numbers apply to everyday clinical scenarios.

Listen to the episode below for a closer look at the criteria and considerations behind Medicare consultation billing.

Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here.

🎓 Short Courses in Skin Cancer Explore single-topic CPD courses for focused learning in skin cancer medicine. Complete in less than 10 hours from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses >

🎓 Certificate Courses in Skin Cancer Dive deeper with HealthCert's university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation to elevate your skin cancer knowledge. ➡️ Explore full program >

🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >

This HealthCert Education podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice.

Most aesthetic clinicians are confident recommending treatments. Recommending what patients use at home is often a different story. Many worry about seeming “salesy,” feel uneasy asking patients to spend more, or simply leave retail to someone else.

In this episode of The Aesthetic Shift, NP Kelly Beasy talks with Iola Ciavarra, director of aesthetics wholesaler Reveal and a 30-year industry veteran. Iola makes the case that recommending skincare is part of your duty of care. Your patients are already buying products, she points out. They’re just not buying them from you, and they’re often following influencer advice.

The conversation covers:

• why a sale is really just a prescription with a transaction attached

• when to raise home care during a consultation

• the core products every clinic can start with

• common mistakes in choosing and displaying stock

• what a small retail range can do for your cash flow

Iola’s advice is practical and easy to apply, whether you run a skin-focused clinic or an injectables-only practice.

This is part one of a two-part mini-series with Iola. Look out for part two soon.

Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here.

🎓 Short Courses in Aesthetic Medicine Explore single-topic CPD courses in focused areas of cosmetic medicine for GPs and nurses. Complete in less than 10 hours, from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses >

🎓 Certificate Courses in Aesthetic Medicine Dive deeper with our university-assured, structured Professional Diploma pathway to elevate your skills in primary care aesthetic medicine. ➡️ Explore Certificate program >

🎓 HealthCert365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >