April 2019
This document responds to the recommendations of the Pain Management Clinical Committee, particularly its recommendations regarding multidisciplinary care as part of the wider Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review.
For many patients, good outcomes depend on access to appropriate allied health care for effective pain management and support. This care is currently not universally accessible and remains heavily dependent on an ability to pay privately.
The recommendations in the report regarding current items numbers do not directly impact on allied health service delivery and access. AHPA’s response focuses on the items that are of the greatest relevance to allied health practitioners and the demonstrated value of multidisciplinary care.