MBS item

12205
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Follow-up overnight sleep study for adults with sleep-related breathing disorder after prior specialist assessment, if symptoms recur unexplained, weight/co-morbidity changes occur, or treatment response is suboptimal; requires continuous technician…

Category 2 · Diagnostic procedures and investigations[Group D1 · subgroup 10](/groups/D1)

Schedule fee$703.80

100% benefitGP, out of hospital—

85% benefitOut of hospital$599.30

75% benefitIn hospital$527.85

The schedule fee for MBS item 12205 is $703.80. Medicare pays $599.30 (85%) out of hospital, or $527.85 (75%) for a privately admitted patient in hospital. Fee effective 1 July 2026.

Gap for what you charge
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Your fee$

Out of hospitalIn hospital (private)

Medicare pays$599.30

Patient gap$104.50

Bulk billing means accepting $599.30 as full payment, with no gap and no extra charges. [Add incentives](/bulk-billing?item=12205)

Item descriptor
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Follow‑up study for a patient aged 18 years or more with a sleep‑related breathing disorder, following professional attendance on the patient by a qualified adult sleep medicine practitioner or consultant respiratory physician (either face-to-face or by video conference), if: (a) any of the following subparagraphs applies: (i) there has been a recurrence of symptoms not explained by known or identifiable factors such as inadequate usage of treatment, sleep duration or significant recent illness; (ii) there has been a significant change in weight or changes in co‑morbid conditions that could affect sleep‑related breathing disorders, and other means of assessing treatment efficacy (including review of data stored by a therapy device used by the patient) are unavailable or have been equivocal; (iii) the patient has undergone a therapeutic intervention (including, but not limited to, positive airway pressure, upper airway surgery, positional therapy, appropriate oral appliance, weight loss of more than 10% in the previous 6 months or oxygen therapy), and there is either clinical evidence of sub‑optimal response or uncertainty about control of sleep‑disordered breathing; and (b) a sleep technician is in continuous attendance under the supervision of a qualified adult sleep medicine practitioner; and (c) there is continuous monitoring and recording, performed in accordance with current professional guidelines, of the following measures: (i) airflow; (ii) continuous EMG; (iii) anterior tibial EMG; (iv) continuous ECG; (v) continuous EEG; (vi) EOG; (vii) oxygen saturation; (viii) respiratory movement (chest and abdomen); (ix) position; and (d) polygraphic records are: (i) analysed (for assessment of sleep stage, arousals, respiratory events, cardiac abnormalities and limb movements) with manual scoring, or manual correction of computerised scoring in epochs of not more than 1 minute; and (ii) stored for interpretation and preparation of a report; and (e) interpretation and preparation of a permanent report is provided by a qualified adult sleep medicine practitioner with personal direct review of raw data from the original recording of polygraphic data from the patient; and (f) the follow‑up study is not provided to the patient on the same occasion that a service mentioned in any of items 11000, 11003, 11004, 11005, 11503, 11704, 11705, 11707, 11713, 11714, 11716, 11717, 11723, 11735 or 12250 is provided to the patient Applicable only once in any 12 month period

[Explanatory notes and rules on MBS Online ↗](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=12205)

Health fund and DVA rates
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Total fee each scheme recognises for this item in hospital.

StateNSWVICQLDSAWATASACTNT

Guides
------

- [How Medicare benefits work: schedule fees, 75%, 85% and 100%](/guides/how-medicare-benefits-work)
- [Medicare safety nets explained: original and extended (EMSN) thresholds for 2026](/guides/medicare-safety-nets)
- [In-hospital billing: the 75% benefit, the 25% fund benefit, and no-gap and known-gap schemes](/guides/in-hospital-billing-and-gap-cover)
- [Bulk billing incentives and BBPIP explained: 2026 amounts by MM area](/guides/bulk-billing-incentives)
- [The MBS multiple operation rule and surgical assistant fees](/guides/multiple-operation-rule)
- [Assignment of benefit for bulk billing: the changes from 1 July 2026](/guides/assignment-of-benefit-2026)
- [MBS telehealth rules: the eligible telehealth practitioner and phone items](/guides/mbs-telehealth-rules)
- [GP chronic condition management plans: items 965 and 967 explained](/guides/chronic-condition-management-plans)
- [Medicare billing compliance: claim time limits, records and the 80/20 rule](/guides/medicare-billing-compliance)

Data source: [Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule](https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/) · Record updated 1 September 2026. Health fund rates come from each fund's published schedule. Verify item descriptors, rules and fees on [MBS Online](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=12205) before billing. This is a reference tool, not billing or financial advice.
