Medicare & compliance

The questions practice managers ask us most before switching. This page is general information, not legal or billing advice — MBS rules change, so always check the current position on MBS Online.

Can doctors claim Medicare rebates for consults on MedCall?

Medicare doesn't approve or certify particular video platforms. The Department of Health's MBS telehealth factsheet says no specific equipment is required to provide telehealth services, and that practitioners must make sure the solution they choose meets their clinical requirements and satisfies privacy laws. Video is the preferred way to substitute for a face-to-face consult.

MedCall gives the practitioner and patient a real-time video consultation, with audio, chat and screen sharing, hosted in Australia.

Are there any limits on claiming when using MedCall?

The platform doesn't change what can be claimed. Telehealth items carry the same clinical requirements as the matching face-to-face items, and eligibility rules — for example, the eligible telehealth practitioner requirement (formerly the established clinical relationship), its exemptions, and the MyMedicare pathway — apply the same way whichever video tool is used. Choosing the item, documenting the consult and claiming stay with the practitioner and your practice software. Our telehealth item numbers quick reference lists the current GP video and phone items.

Privacy and security, for your checklist

MBS Online publishes a privacy checklist for telehealth services, and the RACGP's telehealth guide and the OAIC's guide to health privacy cover what practices need to consider. The points practices usually ask us about:

• Hosting: our application, database and file storage run in Sydney.
• Encryption: calls are encrypted end to end between the two browsers, and data is encrypted in transit.
• Recording: consults are never recorded or stored.
• Minimal data: we keep the patient's mobile or email that you enter, chat messages and files shared in the consult, and call logs. No Medicare numbers, clinical notes or health records.
• Access: each consult link is single-use, expires after 24 hours and can be revoked. Patients don't create accounts.
• Accounts: every clinician account needs an Ahpra registration number, and each doctor has their own login.

The full detail is on our security page, with our privacy policy and terms.

A record of every consult

Every consult gets a record in your dashboard, built from MedCall's own server logs: when the link was sent and opened, when video connected and ended, how long it ran, who was in the call, and any connection problems. You can print it or save it as a PDF, one consult at a time or a whole date range, and download a spreadsheet. Records are kept for seven years, and only the doctor who ran the consult can see them. Medicare can ask for documents about services claimed in the last two years, so the record is there if a consult is ever questioned. It sits alongside your clinical notes, which stay the main record.

What stays with the practice

MedCall is only the video consult. Patient consent to telehealth, identity checks, clinical notes, item selection and billing remain with the practitioner and your practice management software.

Questions

If your practice needs something specific for its own privacy or security review, email hello@medcall.au.