Volume 3 -Direct costs
December 2000 Contents
Volume 1 Key findings
Volume 2 The model practice for each specialty
Volume 3 Direct costs
1 Overview of direct costing ...... 3 1.1 General categorisation of MBS items ...... 3 1.2 Principles of identification of direct cost items ...... 4 1.3 Costing direct cost items ...... 8
2 Classification of direct cost items ...... 17
3 Item costing summaries ...... 101
Bibliography ...... 227
List of abbreviations ...... 231
Volume 4 The methodlogy
1 1Overview of direct costing For the purpose of this study ‘direct cost items’ are those items which are generally delivered in doctors’ rooms and require dedicated staff, equipment, consumables and space.
There are certain items that are generally delivered in-rooms that require resources in excess of those provided in the general overheads of the model practice. In this study, these items are referred to as ‘direct cost’ items. Not all doctors deliver direct cost items. Therefore, the study required that we identify and cost such items separately to ensure that only those who incur the cost and deliver the service are reimbursed, which is in line with proper costing principles.
Conversely, some doctors deliver MBS items in hospitals or day procedure facilities, where each item’s specific resource costs are borne by the facility and reimbursed through separate arrangements. In these cases our methodology has to ensure that no unwarranted reimbursement is received.
Our direct cost methodology was therefore developed on the basis of specific item identification and costing principles that are explained in this volume. It was necessary to develop these principles to ensure that: