MBS item

16408
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Postnatal visit by midwife, obstetrician, or GP at home or community setting between 1–4 weeks after birth (minimum 20 minutes) for privately admitted patients; payable once per pregnancy.

Category 3 · Therapeutic procedures[Group T4](/groups/T4)

Schedule fee$63.90

100% benefitGP, out of hospital—

85% benefitOut of hospital$54.35

75% benefitIn hospital—

The schedule fee for MBS item 16408 is $63.90. Medicare pays $54.35 (85%) out of hospital. Fee effective 1 July 2026.

Gap for what you charge
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Your fee$

Out of hospital

Medicare pays$54.35

Patient gap$9.55

Bulk billing means accepting $54.35 as full payment, with no gap and no extra charges. [Add incentives](/bulk-billing?item=16408)

Extended Medicare Safety Net cap: $41.54 (65% of the schedule fee). Once a patient reaches the EMSN threshold, the extra benefit for this item is 80% of their out-of-pocket cost, but no more than this cap. [How safety nets work](/guides/medicare-safety-nets)

Item descriptor
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Postnatal attendance (other than attendance at consulting rooms, a hospital or a residential aged care facility or a service to which any other item applies) if the attendance: (a) is by: (i) a midwife (on behalf of and under the supervision of the medical practitioner who attended the birth); or (ii) an obstetrician; or (iii) a general practitioner; and (b) is between 1 week and 4 weeks after the birth; and (c) lasts at least 20 minutes; and (d) is for a patient who was privately admitted for the birth; and (e) is for a pregnancy in relation to which a service to which item 82130, 82135 or 82140 applies is not provided Payable once only for a pregnancy

[Explanatory notes and rules on MBS Online ↗](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=16408)

Guides
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- [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=16408) before billing. This is a reference tool, not billing or financial advice.