Updating the schedules

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From time to time, the fee schedules need to be updated. Installation instructions are provided with the update files.

Medicare schedule	May & Nov, plus smaller updates
ASA RVG schedule	Less than once per year
Health fund schedules	May & Nov and at any other time
DVA time-based fees	November each year
AMA recommended RVG value	November each year

The DVA and AMA values are easiest to update and can be done simply by changing the values in the Options form at the appropriate time.

The Medicare and ASA RVG schedules are contained in the MBS items file which is provided to clients at the appropriate time. The file needs to be unzipped and installed as described in the File Management section.

The health fund schedules are provided whenever an update is made and installation simply involves unzipping the file into the Access Anaesthetics folder. When you update your health fund fee schedules, the previous schedule is overwritten. In contrast, the MBS items file is added to the system and it is possible to switch from one MBS file version to another.

When the RVG was incorporated into the MBS schedule in November 2001, a number of changes were made to the system. We have enabled backward compatibility of the Medicare and health fund fees by providing two health fund files, one for pre-RVG and one for post-RVG. The post-RVG file (AAFundsWithRVG.mdb) will be automatically attached to your system when you attach an MBS items file of November 2001 or later, and the pre-RVG file (AAFundTables.mdb) will be attached when you attach to an earlier MBS file.