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HealthCert Insights A Podcast for Doctors, Nurses and Healthcare ProfessionalsAuthor: HealthCert Education
Practical advice from leading clinicians and educators to help doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals treat with confidence and expand their scope of practice. HealthCert Insights is presented by HealthCert Education. Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Medicare billing for skin cancer biopsies and investigations
Episode 139
Tuesday, 27 October, 2026
Biopsies are a routine part of skin cancer work in general practice, but understanding the Medicare requirements around billing can be less straightforward. In this third episode of Medicare Explained, skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard discuss Medicare item numbers for biopsies and other investigations, exploring the requirements for claiming rebates and some of the common areas of confusion for GPs. The conversation covers the distinction between diagnostic biopsies and procedures performed for treatment, including the specific considerations when assessing seborrhoeic keratoses. They also discuss the importance of sending biopsy samples for histopathological examination, the multiple operations rule, and how Medicare defines the aftercare period following a biopsy. Beyond biopsies, the episode explores other investigations relevant to skin cancer care, including total body photography, serial dermoscopy, and genetic testing, and what Medicare rebates are currently available for these services. They also discuss excisional biopsies, including the distinction between removing a lesion to establish a diagnosis and excising it with the intention of treatment. Whether you are reviewing your billing practices or looking to better understand the Medicare requirements that apply to skin cancer procedures, this episode offers a useful overview of the key considerations. Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here. Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Short Courses in Skin Cancer Explore single-topic CPD courses for focused learning in skin cancer medicine. Complete in less than 10 hours from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 Certificate Courses in Skin Cancer Dive deeper with HealthCert's university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation to elevate your skin cancer knowledge. ➡️ Explore full program > 🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 > Medicare Explained This HealthCert Education podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice.
