Broad Type of Service

MBS services are reported using the Broad Type of Service (BTOS) classification, whereby each MBS item is allocated to a BTOS category. The BTOS categories broadly correlate to different provider groups or services. Some smaller categories are combined with larger categories for reporting purposes. The BTOS groups presented in this report (along with examples of services) are:

  • general practitioner (GP) attendances (combined with practice nurse services on behalf of a GP) include:
    • standard GP attendances
    • urgent and after-hours GP attendances
    • GP treatment plans and GP mental health treatment plans
    • health assessments
    • services rendered by a practice nurse or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner on behalf of a GP
  • specialist attendances include:
    • specialist and consultant physician attendances
    • consultant psychiatrist attendances
    • pre anaesthesia consultations
  • obstetrics services include:
    • planning and management of a pregnancy
    • antenatal and postnatal attendances
    • management of labour and birth
    • caesarean sections and other obstetric procedures
  • anaesthetics services include:
    • administration and management of a patient under anaesthesia
    • regional or field nerve blocks
  • pathology services include:
    • standard pathology testing including chemical pathology and haematology
    • detection of bacteria or viruses (including COVID-19)
    • analysis of specimens to detect malignancy
    • genetic testing
    • collection and management of specimens
  • diagnostic imaging services include:
    • x-ray imaging
    • ultrasound
    • computed tomography (CT)
    • magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
    • nuclear medicine imaging, including positron emission tomography (PET)
  • surgical operations (combined with assistance at operations) include:
    • all surgical operations; common operations include cataract surgery, endoscopies, removal of tumours or skin lesions, and knee and hip replacements
    • assistance at operations
  • allied health services (combined with optometry) include:
    • optometry
    • services provided by relevant groups (for example clinical psychology, physiotherapy and other allied health professions), under team care arrangements, or under a shared care plan, or under both a GP management plan and team care arrangements, in managing a person’s chronic condition and complex care needs
  • other MBS services (combined with radiation therapy) include
    • radiation oncology and therapeutic nuclear medicine
    • diagnostic procedures and investigations (for example electrocardiograms, audiograms, bone densitometry testing and sleep apnoea testing)
    • miscellaneous therapeutic procedures, including assisted reproductive services
    • bulk billing incentives for unreferred services other than diagnostic imaging (included with diagnostic imaging) and pathology (included with pathology).