Australia to Update Medicare Benefits Schedule in November
New Medicare changes for children and chronic disease management will take effect across Australia on 1 November 2026.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Children’s Health
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The Federal Government is set to implement updates to the Medicare Benefits Schedule on 1 November 2026. These changes include new health checks for three-year-olds and additional phone attendance items for chronic condition management.
Why it matters
These adjustments aim to improve early identification of developmental delays in children and reduce pressure on the NDIS. By enhancing access to specific diagnostic services, the government seeks to streamline primary health care delivery.
The updates introduce four new phone attendance items for chronic disease management and a new Healthy Kids Check for three-year-olds. Additionally, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring eligibility has been expanded to children and adolescents aged five to under 18 years.
The players
Federal Government
The national governing body of Australia responsible for administering the Medicare system and setting health policy priorities.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
The professional organisation that maintains standards for general practice and provides clinical education to medical professionals.
The details
General practitioners will conduct Healthy Kids Checks using time-tiered health assessment items 701-707 to facilitate early detection of neurodevelopmental differences. Furthermore, nurse practitioners are now authorised to refer patients for bone mineral densitometry services, while prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography studies are restricted to once per 12-month period.
Timeline
Chronic disease management framework changes took effect in 2025.
Medicare Benefits Schedule changes take effect on 1 November 2026.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners will host a webinar on 26 November 2026.
Health Landscape
The introduction of the three-year-old Healthy Kids Check is a strategic move to manage long-term health system costs. By facilitating earlier interventions, this policy integrates with the National Disability Insurance Scheme to reduce future reliance on specialist support services.
Parents of three-year-olds can now access new Medicare-subsidised health checks to screen for developmental delays. Patients requiring 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring will also see expanded access for adolescents aged five to 18 years.
The takeaway
These Medicare updates provide new diagnostic tools for practitioners to better support paediatric health outcomes. Families should consult their local GP to determine how these expanded assessment items may apply to their child's ongoing health management.
What happens next
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners will host a webinar on 26 November 2026 to discuss the new general practice team checks and Medicare updates.
Further reading
For more information on national health initiatives, visit the Children’s Health section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Racgp.
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