MBS item

2946
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Specialist in pain medicine participating in a multidisciplinary case conference of 15-30 minutes to organise and coordinate community care.

Category 1 · Professional attendances[Group A24 · subgroup 2](/groups/A24)

Schedule fee$168.95

100% benefitGP, out of hospital—

85% benefitOut of hospital$143.65

75% benefitIn hospital$126.75

The schedule fee for MBS item 2946 is $168.95. Medicare pays $143.65 (85%) out of hospital, or $126.75 (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$143.65

Patient gap$25.30

Bulk billing means accepting $143.65 as full payment, with no gap and no extra charges. [Add incentives](/bulk-billing?item=2946)

Extended Medicare Safety Net cap: $500.00 (300% of the schedule fee, up to $500.00). 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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Attendance by a specialist, or consultant physician, in the practice of the specialist's or consultant physician's specialty of pain medicine, as a member of a multidisciplinary case conference team, to organise and coordinate a community case conference of at least 15 minutes but less than 30 minutes

[Explanatory notes and rules on MBS Online ↗](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=2946)

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

StateNSWVICQLDSAWATASACTNT

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=2946) before billing. This is a reference tool, not billing or financial advice.