What these regulations cover
The Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 2) Regulations 2026 were registered on 15 June 2026 and were in force from 15 June 2026 to 7 September 2026. The regulations were made under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and also amend the Health Insurance Regulations 2018.
Changes to MBS fee schedules
The regulations update fee schedules across three areas of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS):
- Diagnostic imaging services - including breast imaging
- Pathology services
- General medical services - including treatment of acute burn wounds and sleep investigations
Indexation of fees
The regulations apply indexation of fees across the diagnostic imaging, general medical services, and pathology tables.
Key actions
- Medical practices, pathology laboratories, and diagnostic imaging services are required to review the updated fee schedules at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00657 to confirm billing rates for affected services including breast imaging, burn wound treatment, and sleep investigations.
- Practice management or billing software requires checking to confirm it reflects the new MBS item fees and any new or amended item numbers introduced by these regulations.
- Providers billing for diagnostic imaging, pathology, or general medical services are required to confirm with their billing provider or practice manager that indexation changes from Schedule 1 have been applied correctly from 15 June 2026.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.