COLLEGE NEWS
Changes to MBS- removal of skin lesions
Posted 6 years ago
Following the updated schedule for skin excision items in November 2016, the Department of Health has received a number of enquiries seeking clarification. In response, minor additions (underlined below) have been incorporated into the relevant explanatory note TN.8.125 associated with MBS items 31356 to 31376 for Removal of Skin Lesions:
- Definitive surgical excision for items 31371 to 31376 means surgical removal with adequate margins as part of the curative management of the malignancies specified in these items.
- An incomplete surgical excision of a malignant skin lesion with curative intent should be billed as a malignant skin lesion excision item even when further surgery is needed. Wide excision of the primary tumour bed following local excision of a primary melanoma, appendageal carcinoma, malignant connective tissue or merkel cell carcinoma of the skin may be claimed using item 31371, 31372, 31373, 31374, 31375 or 31376, depending on the location of the malignancy and the size of the excision diameter.
These changes were displayed on the MBS website from 1 March 2018.
