MBS item 30071: Skin biopsy sent for histology

What to check before you bill item 30071

Each line links to the MBS passage it comes from.

• Skin, not a mucous membrane Item 30071
• Specimen sent for pathology Item 30071
• Taken because a biopsy was needed to confirm the diagnosis and guide management of the lesion TN.8.7
• Done as a procedure on its own, not as part of another procedure on the same area (such as excising that lesion) Item 30071

Billing item 30071 with other items

With a consultation on the same day: only if it’s distinct. A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy AN.0.9

Can’t be billed with item 30071

• Bladder catheterisation (item 36800)
  • Only when no other procedure is done on the same occasion: not with another operation (Group T8), such as a wound repair or a suprapubic stab cystotomy Item 36800
• Ganglion excision (item 30107)
  • Not with another surgical operation (Group T8) on the same occasion Item 30107
• IUD insertion (items 35503 and 82201)
  • Not with another Group T8 (surgical) item on the same occasion, apart from the items it names as exceptions: only one is paid, and the MBS doesn't settle which (the item's wording bars the IUD insertion; note TN.8.1 reads the same words as barring the other item), so bill one Item 35503
• Rigid sigmoidoscopy (items 32072 and 32075)
  • Not with another operation (Group T8) on the same occasion Item 32075
• Skin lesion destruction (freezing, curette, cautery, laser) (item 30189)
  • Not with another Group T8 (surgical) item on the same occasion Item 30189

Only in some cases with item 30071

• Acupuncture (items 193, 195, 197, and 199)
  • A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy AN.0.9
• Prolonged attendance on a patient in imminent danger of death (all 10 items, including 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, and 214)
  • A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy AN.0.9
• Patient-end support for a specialist video consultation (all 32 items, including 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, and 378)
  • A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy AN.0.9
• Urgent after-hours attendance (all 8 items, including 585, 588, 591, 594, 599, and 600)
  • A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy AN.0.9
• Biopsy of a lymph node, muscle, or deep tissue (item 30075)
  • A biopsy of a lesion of the skin or a mucous membrane, to confirm a diagnosis, goes to the skin or mucous membrane biopsy, not this one TN.8.7
• Mucosal lesion excision (items 31400, 31403, 31406, 31206, 31211, and 31216)
  • A shave biopsy of a mucous membrane that ends up removing the whole lesion is still a biopsy: only the biopsy is billed, not an excision TN.8.7
• Skin lesion excision (all 32 items, including 31363, 31366, 31356, 31357, 31358, and 31359)
  • A shave biopsy that ends up removing the whole lesion is still a biopsy: only the biopsy is billed, not an excision TN.8.7
• General consultation (all 153 items, including 23, 36, 91891, 3, 4, and 24)
  • A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy AN.0.9
  • The biopsy is billed with its own item, not as a consult. A consult goes with it when you assessed the problem and decided on the biopsy at this visit, or managed something else: not for consent, doing the biopsy, or giving its result AN.0.9

Bulk-billing incentive

An extra payment when a doctor bulk bills an unreferred service. With item 30071, one of these:

Other versions

Skin or mucous membrane biopsy has 3 items. The others:

What comes next

• If the biopsy shows a skin cancer, excising it is a separate service, usually at a later visit. (items 31363, 31366, 31356, and 31357)
• A consultation that uses the histology result to decide further management can be billed. Only giving the result is part of the biopsy. (items 23, 36, 91891, and 3)

Often done at the same visit

• A skin check can find one lesion that needs a biopsy to make a diagnosis and another that is clearly best cut out at the same visit. (items 31363, 31366, and 31356)
• Patients with sun damage often have solar keratoses frozen at the visit where a suspicious lesion is biopsied; 10 or more treated has its own item. (items 30187, 30189, and 30190)

Where the MBS is unclear

• TN.8.238, which also says to use 35615 for vaginal biopsies, is headed as a note on partial vaginectomy (item 35548), but 35548 is now a radical vulvectomy for malignancy: the note's item number looks stale. TN.8.238

Common questions

What is the fee for MBS item 30071?

The schedule fee is $62.55, and the Medicare benefit is 85% of it ($53.20). That’s under the MBS in force from 1 August 2026.

Can item 30071 be claimed on the same day as a consultation?

Yes, if it’s distinct. A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy.

Can you bill 30071 and 23 together?

Only in some cases. A consult on the same day only if clinically relevant and distinct from the biopsy. (Source: MBS AN.0.9.)

Can you bill 30071 and 36800 together?

No. Only when no other procedure is done on the same occasion: not with another operation (Group T8), such as a wound repair or a suprapubic stab cystotomy. (Source: MBS Item 36800.)

Can you bill 30071 and 30107 together?

No. Not with another surgical operation (Group T8) on the same occasion. (Source: MBS Item 30107.)

What can’t item 30071 be billed with?

The MBS has a rule against billing item 30071 with these: bladder catheterisation, ganglion excision, IUD insertion, rigid sigmoidoscopy, and skin lesion destruction (freezing, curette, cautery, laser). Each rule and its source is on this page.

Can item 30071 be billed with a bulk-billing incentive?

Yes. An extra payment when a doctor bulk bills an unreferred service. The items are 10990, 10991, 75855, 75856, 75857, and 75858.

Sources

• Item 30071: Group T8 Surgical Operations › Subgroup 1 General
• Note TN.8.7: Biopsy for Diagnostic Purposes - (Items 30071 to 30094 and 30820)
• Note AN.0.9: Using time-tiered professional (general) attendance items
• Item 36800: Group T8 Surgical Operations › Subgroup 5 Urological
• Item 30107: Group T8 Surgical Operations › Subgroup 1 General
• Item 35503: Group T8 Surgical Operations › Subgroup 4 Gynaecological
• Item 32075: Group T8 Surgical Operations › Subgroup 2 Colorectal
• Item 30189: Group T8 Surgical Operations › Subgroup 1 General
• Note TN.8.238: Partial Vaginectomy (Item 35548)