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Eating disorders treatment and management plans

 

MBSM41           July 2025

 

This module provides information for Medical Practitioners and Allied Health Professionals about eating disorders treatment and management plans.

 

Table of Contents

Learning objectives

Conditions eligible for treatment and management plans

What needs to be in a treatment and management plan

Consultation items and treatment & management plan items

How this plan works with other care plans

Eating disorders plans MBS items

12 month cycle of reviews and treatment items

Mental Health Case Conference (MHCC)

Additional resources

Additional information

 

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will have an understanding of:

·         Eating Disorders Treatment and Management Plans (EDP)

·         the eligible conditions and eligibility criteria

·         referrals for Eating Disorders Psychological Treatment (EDPT) and dietetic services

·         Mental Health Case Conference requirements.

 

For the purpose of this module the term:

·         General Practitioner (GP) is used for a Medical Practitioner (MP) who either holds:

·         specialist registration in the specialty of GP with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), or

·         general registration as a GP on the Vocational Register.

·         Prescribed Medical Practitioner (PMP) is an MP who is not a GP, Specialist, or Consultant Physician.

·         Specialist is used to mean an MP in a specialty other than general practice.

 

Conditions eligible for treatment and management plans

To be eligible for an EDP, your patient must be enrolled in Medicare and be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. 

Your patient may also be eligible if they meet the following criteria:

·         be diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, a binge-eating disorder or other feeding or eating disorder

·         a score of 3 or more on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire

·         rapid weight loss or frequent binge eating or inappropriate compensatory behaviour 3 or more times a week.

Refer to Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) item descriptions and notes for more details at MBS Online.

 

If your patient hasn’t been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa they must also have at least 2 of these indicators:

·         body weight less than 85 percent of expected weight as a result of an eating disorder

·         high risk of, or current medical complications due to eating disorders behaviour and symptoms

·         serious co-morbid medical or psychological conditions that significantly impact their medical or psychological health functions

·         hospital admittance for an eating disorder in the last 12 months

·         inadequate treatment response to evidence-based eating disorders treatments over the last 6 months.

  

What needs to be in a treatment and management plan

You must create an EDP before you can claim Medicare benefits for EDP items.

 

Treatment and management plans must document:

·         diagnosis of your patient’s eating disorder

·         results of assessment

·         patient needs

·         goals, treatments and referrals needed to treat your patient’s condition for the next 12 months.

 

·         You need to offer your patient a copy of their plan.

·         You can also offer your patient’s carer a copy of the plan with your patient’s consent.

·         You can also give them education material about their eating disorder.

Make sure you check the full item descriptions and requirements at MBS Online.

 

Consultation items and treatment & management plan items

Some EDP and review items can’t be claimed with some other consultation items on the same day for the same patient.

The MBS item and explanatory notes provide more information about what consultation items can’t be claimed with an EDP item.

 

You must review an EDP after every 10 EDPT services. An EDP expires after 12 months.

You must renew a plan before your patient can access further EDPT or dietetic services.

How many services can I refer my patient for?

 

You can refer your patient for up to 10 EDPT services and 20 dietetics services when you create an EDP. 

Your patient’s EDP must be reviewed before they can access more than 10 EDPT services.

Note: Your patient can view their EDP in their Medicare online account by navigating to My care plans and selecting My care plan history. This provides a simple function for patients to view how many services have been billed against one, or all, of their care plans.

 

How this plan works with other care plans

It’s expected that most patients will only have one care plan in place, but it may be appropriate for your patient to also have a Chronic Condition Management (CCM) or mental health treatment plan. Any treatment services provided under these plans count toward the total number of services your patient can access for eating disorders treatment under their plan.

 

Plan type

Services that count toward eating disorder treatment total

GP Mental Health Treatment Plan

All Treatment services under the Better Access Initiative.

GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP)

Dietetic treatment service.

 

How this plan works with other care plans example

You create a mental health treatment plan for your patient on 5 July, and by 1 November in the same calendar year they have had 4 treatment services.

On 1 November you create an EDP for your patient.

Your patient’s original mental health treatment plan still has up to 6 treatment services left on it that could be used until 31 December (these services are available per calendar year). Your patient is eligible for a maximum of 40 EDPT services under their plan. The 6 remaining services from the mental health plan contribute to the 40 psychological treatment services.

 

Example: Services provided over 2 calendars years

1 January to 31 December

Mental Health Plan 5 July to 31 December

4 treatment services

6 treatment services

Patient has completed their initial course of treatment for the mental health plan. 10 psychological treatment services.

 

1 January to 31 December

Eating Disorders Plan 1 November to 1 November

10 treatment services

10 treatment services

10 treatment services

4 treatment services

Patient has completed their course of treatment for the eating disorders plan. 40 psychological treatment services.

 

Eating disorders plans MBS items

GP and PMP

The items below include ongoing telehealth MBS items. Find out more about MBS Telehealth services.

Health professional

F2F* and telehealth Items

Brief description

GP (no mental health skills training)

90250, 90251, 92146, 92147

 

 

Prepare/Review an EDP

 

GP (with mental health skills training)

90252, 90253, 92148, 92149

GP

90264, 92170, 92176

PMP (no mental health skills training)

90254, 90255, 92150, 92151

PMP (with mental health skills training)

90256, 90257, 92152, 92153

PMP

90265, 92171, 92177

*Face to Face (F2F)

 Psychiatrist and Paediatrician

The items below include ongoing telehealth MBS items. Find out more about MBS Telehealth services.

Health professional

F2F* and telehealth Items

Brief description

Consultant Physician in Psychiatry

90260, 92162

Prepare an EDP

Consultant Physician in Psychiatry

90266, 92172

Review an EDP

Consultant Physician in Paediatrics

90261, 92163

Prepare an EDP

Consultant Physician in Paediatrics

90267, 92173

Review an EDP

*Face to Face (F2F)

GP and PMP FPS items

GPs and PMPs must be registered with Medicare to provide Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) to claim these items. The items below include ongoing telehealth MBS items. Find out more about MBS Telehealth services.

Health professional

F2F* and telehealth Items

Brief description

GP (FPS)

90271 to 90274, 92182, 92184, 92194, 92196

Attendance items to provide eating disorders psychological treatment services.

 

PMP (FPS)

90275 to 90278, 92186, 92188, 92198, 92200

*Face to Face (F2F)

 

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12 month cycle of reviews and treatment items

Refer to these Steps. 

 

Step 1

 

Service

New EDP created by GP, Consultant Physician in Psychiatry or Consultant Physician in Paediatrics.

Documents

EDP and referrals for psychological and / or dietetics services.

Step 2

 

Service

Up to 10 EDPT services with relevant health professionals.  Up to 20 dietetics services with an eligible dietitian (these can be used over the 12 month period).

Documents

Report back to referring health professional.

Step 3

 

Service

Review EDP (GP, Consultant Physician in Psychiatry or Consultant Physician in Paediatrics).

Documents

Additions or alternations to the EDP. Referrals for EDPT services (and dietetics) if not all 20 were referred initially.

Step 4

 

Service

Up to 10 EDPT with relevant health professionals.

Documents

Report back to referring health professional.

Step 5

 

Service

Referring health professional and Consultant Physician in Psychiatry or Paediatrics review the EDP. Both health professionals must review plan before more treatment services can be provided to the patient.

Documents

        Additions or alterations to EDP.  Referrals for EDPT services (and dietetics) if not all 20 were referred yet.

Step 6

 

Service

Up to 10 EDPT services with relevant health professionals. Any remaining referred dietetics services.

Documents

Report back to referring health professional.

Step 7

 

Service

Review EDP (GP, Consultant Physician in Psychiatry or Consultant Physician in Paediatrics).

Documents

Additions or alterations to the EDP.  Referrals for EDPT services (and dietetics) if not all 20 were referred yet.

Step 8

 

Service

Up to 10 EDPT services with relevant health professionals. Any remaining referred dietetics services.

Documents

Report back to referring health professional.

 

Mental Health Case Conference (MHCC)

MHCC eligibility

Patients are eligible for MHCC if they’re being managed under either:

·         Better Access initiative for mental health

·         an eating disorders treatment and management plan.

You must consult with a multidisciplinary team for MHCC.

A GP, PMP, Consultant Psychiatrist or Consultant Paediatrician organises and coordinates the case conference and at least 2 other members of the multidisciplinary case conference team attend the case conference.

MHCC team members can be:

·         GP, PMP

·         Consultant Physicians in either:

o   Psychiatry

o   Paediatrics

·         Allied Mental Health Professionals who meet the qualification requirements of a:

o   psychological therapy health service

o   focussed psychological health service

o   dietetics health service.

Each person in the team must be providing a different type of ongoing treatment or service. For further information refer to MHCC items.

MHCC requirements

When coordinating the MHCC you should discuss all of the following with your patient:

·         the steps involved in developing the MHCC

·         the multidisciplinary team who’ll contribute to the MHCC and provide treatments and services

·         whether your patient agrees to proceed and note their response in your patient’s medical records.

When documenting the MHCC, include:

·         treatment and service goals for your patient

·         treatment and services that collaborating health professionals have agreed to give

·         actions your patient needs to take

·         review dates.

Once you have completed the MHCC document:

·         offer a copy of it to your patient

·         give copies of the relevant parts of the document to the collaborating health professionals

·         add a copy of the document to your patient's medical record.

MHCC MBS items

Health professional

Attend, organise and coordinate

Attend and participate

GP

930, 933,935

937, 943, 945

PMP

969, 971, 972

973, 975, 986

Psychiatrist or Paediatrician

946, 948, 959

961, 962, 964

Allied mental health professional

n/a

80176, 80177, 80178

 

Health professional groups for MHCC

Group

Health professionals eligible for mental health case conference team

Medical Practitioner

Patient’s GP

Consultant Physicians in the practice of their specialty of Psychiatry or Paediatrics

Allied mental health professional

Dietitians, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers

 

Additional resources

Use the MBS items online checker to check eligibility. Alternatively, you can call Medicare provider enquiries to check eligibility for MBS items that you intend to use.

 

Benefits to using HPOS infographic

MBS items online checker simulation

MBS items online checker infographic

Eligibility for treatment services under treatment services under eating disorders treatment and management plan (EDP) infographic

View patient care plan history simulation

View patient care plan history infographic

Eating Disorders Treatment and Management Plan (EDP) infographic

 

Additional information

Additional education resources are available on the Health Professional Education Resources website, including more information on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

 

Glossary

Ahpra                                       Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

CCM                                      Chronic Condition Management                                                                                                         

EDPT                                     Eating Disorders Psychological Treatment

EDP                                       Eating Disorders Treatment and Management Plan

F2F                                        Face to Face

FPS                                       Focussed Psychological Strategies

GP                                         General Practitioner

GPCCMP                              GP Chronic Condition Management Plan

HPOS                                   Health Professional Online Services

MBS                                     Medicare Benefits Schedule

MHCC                                  Mental Health Case Conference

MP                                       Medical Practitioner

PMP                                     Prescribed Medical Practitioner

 

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