What these regulations cover
The Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 2) Regulations 2026 have been registered on the Federal Register of Legislation. These regulations are made under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and are administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
The regulations update the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee tables across three service categories:
- Diagnostic imaging services
- Pathology services
- General medical services
The full instrument is available at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00657.
What has changed
The regulations make the following changes to the MBS fee tables:
- Indexation - fee adjustments apply across all three service tables (diagnostic imaging, pathology, and general medical services)
- Breast imaging services - new rules apply to these services
- Acute burn wound treatment - amendments have been made to items covering this treatment
- Sleep investigation items - changes have been made to these items
The regulations also include updates to the Health Insurance Regulations 2018.
Dates
- In force from: 15 June 2026
- Scheduled repeal date: 7 September 2026 - the regulations are set to be replaced by a new instrument at that point
Key actions
- Review the updated fee schedules at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00657 to confirm Medicare billing items and amounts are current from 15 June 2026.
- Check whether practice management or billing software has been updated to reflect the new MBS fees for diagnostic imaging, pathology, and general medical services - contact your software provider if unsure.
- For breast imaging, acute burn wound treatment, or sleep investigation services, review Schedules 2, 4 Part 1, and 4 Part 2 specifically at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00657 for changes that affect those item numbers.
- Note that these regulations are scheduled to be repealed on 7 September 2026 - watch for a replacement instrument around that date which will supersede these rules.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.