From 1 November 2022, a revised structure for group therapy Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items was introduced under the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) initiative (Better Access). This includes:

• 16 new MBS items for group therapy sessions lasting at least 90 minutes or 120 minutes;
• Amendments to 8 existing MBS items to reduce the minimum number of patients required to hold a group therapy session from six to four; and
• Allowing all group therapy MBS items to be claimed with only three patients, if four patients were scheduled to attend but one patient does not attend (for example, due to unforeseen circumstances).

These changes were informed by recommendations from the Productivity Commission in its Inquiry into Mental Health and the MBS Review Taskforce. The Medical Services Advisory Committee Executive endorsed these recommendations and changes.

Further information is available in the following fact sheet:

Factsheet	PDF and Word versions
Group Therapy MBS Changes under the Better Access Initiative (Last updated: 23 August 2024)	Word Version - Better Access - Group Therapy MBS Changes (Word 126 KB) PDF Version - Better Access - Group Therapy MBS Changes (PDF 226 KB)
Historic factsheet for Group Therapy (Last updated: 28 October 2022)	Word Version - Fact sheet for Group Therapy (Word 123 KB) PDF Version - Fact sheet for Group Therapy (PDF 167 KB)