Processing radiation oncology 011-43010150
Expand allFrom 1 July 2025 - text required for radiation oncology treatment items to multiple sites on the same day
Table 1: this table outlines the text requirements for radiation oncology treatment items provided to multiple sites on the same day.
Site | Treatment | Required text |
Single | 1 | First |
Single | 2 | Second |
Multiple | 1 | Full name of anatomical site, first |
Multiple | 2 | Full name of anatomical site, second |
Example of claim text for 3 anatomical sites treated multiple times on the same day
Table 2
Site 1 / Treatment 1 | Bowel, first |
Site 1 / Treatment 2 | Bowel, second |
Site 2 / Treatment 1 | Liver, first |
Site 2 / Treatment 2 | Liver, second |
Site 3 / Treatment 1 | Lung, first |
Site 3 / Treatment 1 | Lung, second |
From 1 July 2025 - text required for radiation oncology planning items
Table 3: this table outlines the text requirements for radiation oncology planning items.
Site | Required text |
Single | N/A |
Multiple | Full name of anatomical site. For example, bowel |
Example of claim text for planning items of 3 anatomical sites
Table 4
Site 1 | Bowel |
Site 2 | Liver |
Site 3 | Lung |
From 1 July 2024 - Radiation oncology planning, re-planning, and treatment items
Table 5
Before 1 July 2024 - Text requirements and derived fee items
Table 6: this table shows the appropriate text/notes needed when processing radiation oncology items. It shows which additional field derived fee item matches each single field base item.
Before 1 July 2024 - Text requirements and planning items
Table 7: this table outlines the appropriate text/note for planning items.
Before 1 July 2024 - FAQs for Service Officers
Table 8
Item | Description |
1 | What does the word attendance mean in relation to radiotherapy items? The word attendance relates to a single visit radiotherapy treatment. At each attendance, a fraction of the treatment course is delivered to the patient. |
2 | What does the word field mean in relation to radiotherapy items? The word field refers to the area irradiated in a single application of X rays. See the Resources page in Radiation oncology (radiotherapy) for more details. |
3 | What text/notes are acceptable to indicate separate occasions/separate attendances? The health professional must provide text or notes that state the services were performed at separate attendances. This could be 'separate attendance' or 'separate occasion' or the times on the same day, for example, 9 am and 3:45 pm. |
4 | What text/notes are required when multiple radiotherapy items are performed on the same occasion? This will depend on the radiotherapy treatment item numbers that are being claimed. If multiple primary sites apply, and a patient has more than one separate and distinct primary tumour, then the text must include the different sites. For example, right and left leg. |
5 | Can planning item 15565 be claimed more than once in a 42 day period? Item 15565 can only be claimed once per day and once per 42 day period. Item 15565 can be claimed more than once per 42 days if text is provided stating 'separate episode of care'. |
6 | Can you claim item 15275 multiple times in a day? Item 15275 is the only treatment item that can be claimed with planning item15565. Item 15275 can be claimed once per attendance and can be claimed more than once per day if more than one treatment is required. This occurs with hyper fractionated treatment. |
7 | What is the appropriate time field to pay multiple services? There is a difference between transmission time (service time) and time noted in the Text field. It is the health professional's responsibility to provide the correct text/note.
If the only text is the transmission time, for example, 2 or 3 seconds/minutes apart, reject the items. If the health professional provides an individual treatment/attendance times in the free text, pay the items. |
8 | How often can a simulation item and a verification item be claimed? A simulation item can be claimed once per planning item. A verification item can only be claimed once per treatment attendance, no matter how many treatment sites are verified at that attendance. |
Return messages
Table 9: this table contains return messages associated with radiation oncology processing.
External links
Note TN.2.2 - Medicare Benefits Schedule
MBS Online - Note TN.2.3 Megavoltage treatment
MBS Online - Note TN.2.4 Kilovoltage planning and treatment
MBS Online Note TN.2.5 Brachytherapy items 15958-15984
MBS Online - Changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule for radiation therapy items
Cancer Australia - Glossary of terms used in radiation oncology