MBS item 701: Brief health assessment, up to 30 min

What to check before you bill item 701

Each line links to the MBS passage it comes from.

• By a GP (a non-VR doctor uses the prescribed medical practitioner version) Item 701
• 30 minutes or less Item 701
• In person: there are no video or phone versions of these health assessments AN.0.36
• In a target group: 75 or older, a permanent aged care resident, 40–49 at high risk of type 2 diabetes, 45–49 at risk of chronic disease, intellectual disability, refugee or humanitarian entrant, or former defence force member AN.0.36
• Not a hospital in-patient AN.0.36
• Not an aged care resident, unless it is their comprehensive medical assessment AN.0.36
• Don’t also bill a service the assessment itself includes (a test its own requirements list, such as audiometry where listed); a separate test such as an ECG can be billed AN.0.36
• The doctor personally saw the patient as part of the assessment (a nurse may help, but not instead of the doctor) AN.0.36
• Collected information, including the patient’s history, with examinations and investigations as required AN.0.36
• Made an overall assessment of the patient AN.0.36
• Recommended or started interventions and referrals as indicated AN.0.36
• A basic physical examination Item 701
• Gave the patient preventive health care advice and information Item 701
• You are the patient’s usual GP or practice, or it wasn’t reasonably practicable for them to see their usual GP AN.0.36
• Say which target group the assessment is for when claiming (a patient can be in more than one) AN.0.36
• High risk of type 2 diabetes on the Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK) AN.0.36
• At risk of developing a chronic disease (a risk factor identified) AN.0.36
• A permanent resident of the aged care facility (the comprehensive medical assessment) AN.0.36

How often item 701 can be claimed

• Type 2 diabetes risk evaluation (40–49, high risk): once every 3 years. Counts only assessments for this group; a patient in several groups can have each group’s assessment AN.0.36
• 45–49 at risk of chronic disease: once only. Counts only assessments for this group AN.0.36
• 75 or older: once a year. Counts only assessments for this group AN.0.36
• Comprehensive medical assessment of a permanent aged care resident: once a year. Counts only assessments for this group AN.0.36
• Intellectual disability: once a year. Counts only assessments for this group AN.0.36
• Refugee or other humanitarian entrant: once only. Counts only assessments for this group AN.0.36
• Former member of the Australian Defence Force: once only. Counts only assessments for this group AN.0.36

Billing item 701 with other items

With a consultation on the same day: only if it’s distinct. A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary AN.0.36

Can’t be billed with item 701

• 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) (item 11607)
  • Not in association with a heart health check, a health assessment (including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check), a GP chronic condition management plan or its review, a contribution to a multidisciplinary care plan, or a case conference (including a cancer case conference) Item 11607
• Practice nurse service for a patient with a care plan (items 10997, 93201, and 93203)
  • Not in conjunction with a time-tiered health assessment (the assessment is a complete service, including any nurse help) AN.0.36

Only in some cases with item 701

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check (items 715, 228, 92004, and 92011)
  • An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient who is also in a target group (e.g. 75 or older) can have either assessment; the MBS lets a patient have each assessment they are eligible for and names no winner for one visit, so the doctor picks AN.0.36
• Acupuncture (items 193, 195, 197, and 199)
  • A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary AN.0.36
• General consultation (all 153 items, including 3, 4, 5000, 5003, 5010, and 90020)
  • A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary AN.0.36
• Prolonged attendance on a patient in imminent danger of death (all 10 items, including 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, and 214)
  • A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary AN.0.36
• Patient-end support for a specialist video consultation (all 32 items, including 2484, 2485, 2486, 2487, 2488, and 2489)
  • A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary AN.0.36
• Urgent after-hours attendance (all 8 items, including 585, 599, 594, 588, 591, and 600)
  • A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary AN.0.36
• Practice nurse follow-up after a health check (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient) (items 10987, 93200, and 93202)
  • Not for a nurse’s or health practitioner’s help with a health assessment (the assessment is a complete service) MN.12.3

Can be billed with item 701

• Menopause health assessment (menopause and perimenopause) (items 695 and 19000)
  • A separate time-tiered or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment too, with no minimum gap between them (the same time can’t count for both) AN.14.3

Bulk-billing incentive

An extra payment when a doctor bulk bills an unreferred service. With item 701, one of these:

Other versions

Health assessment (75+, aged care, and other target groups) has 8 items. The others:

Where the MBS is unclear

• The descriptors make the standard tier "more than 30 minutes" and the prolonged tier "at least 60 minutes", but the AN.0.36 table says "at least 30 minutes" for standard and "Prolonged health assessment lasting more than 60 minutes". By the table, exactly 30 minutes fits both the brief and standard tiers and exactly 60 fits neither. The conditions here follow the descriptors. AN.0.36
• Each target group has its own required content in these notes (for example the 75+ assessment’s blood pressure, pulse rhythm, medication, continence, immunisation, falls, cognition, mood, and social checks; the aged care assessment’s diagnosis list and written summary for the facility; the intellectual disability checklist; the veterans’ service history). Those notes aren’t linked to these items, so the group checklists here cover only what AN.0.36 says: check the group’s own note. AN.0.36

Common questions

What is the fee for MBS item 701?

The schedule fee is $71.00, and the Medicare benefit is 100% of it ($71.00). That’s under the MBS in force from 1 August 2026.

How many minutes is item 701?

30 minutes or less.

Can item 701 be done by video or phone?

No. In person: there are no video or phone versions of these health assessments.

Who can bill item 701?

By a GP (a non-VR doctor uses the prescribed medical practitioner version).

How often can item 701 be claimed?

Type 2 diabetes risk evaluation (40–49, high risk): once every 3 years. Counts only assessments for this group; a patient in several groups can have each group’s assessment. 45–49 at risk of chronic disease: once only. Counts only assessments for this group. 75 or older: once a year. Counts only assessments for this group. Comprehensive medical assessment of a permanent aged care resident: once a year. Counts only assessments for this group. Intellectual disability: once a year. Counts only assessments for this group. Refugee or other humanitarian entrant: once only. Counts only assessments for this group. Former member of the Australian Defence Force: once only. Counts only assessments for this group.

Can item 701 be claimed on the same day as a consultation?

Yes, if it’s distinct. A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary.

Can you bill 701 and 10997 together?

No. The practice nurse chronic condition service can’t be claimed in conjunction with a health assessment (the assessment is a complete service, including any nurse help). (Source: MBS AN.0.36.)

Can you bill 701 and 695 together?

Yes. A separate time-tiered or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment too, with no minimum gap between them (the same time can’t count for both). (Source: MBS AN.14.3.)

Can you bill 701 and 10987 together?

Only in some cases. Not for a nurse’s or health practitioner’s help with a health assessment (the assessment is a complete service). (Source: MBS MN.12.3.)

Can you bill 701 and 11607 together?

No. Not in association with a heart health check, a health assessment (including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check), a GP chronic condition management plan or its review, a contribution to a multidisciplinary care plan, or a case conference (including a cancer case conference). (Source: MBS Item 11607.)

What can’t item 701 be billed with?

The MBS has a rule against billing item 701 with these: 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and practice nurse service for a patient with a care plan. Each rule and its source is on this page.

Can item 701 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 701: Group A14 Health Assessments
• Note AN.0.36: Time-Tiered Health Assessments (Items 701, 703, 705, 707, 224, 225, 226, 227)
• Item 11607: Group D1 Miscellaneous Diagnostic Procedures And Investigations › Subgroup 5 Vascular
• Note AN.14.3: Menopause and Perimenopause Health Assessments (MBS items 695 and 19000)
• Note MN.12.3: Follow up service provided on behalf of a medical practitioner for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who has received a health assessment (MBS Item 10987, 93200, 93202))