HealthCert Insights – A Podcast for Doctors, Nurses and Healthcare Professionals

HealthCert Education
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Practical advice from leading clinicians and educators to help doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals treat with confidence and expand their scope of practice. HealthCert Insights is presented by HealthCert Education.

  1. 3d ago

    Medicare billing for skin cancer biopsies and investigations

    Biopsies are a routine part of skin cancer work in general practice, but understanding the Medicare requirements around billing can be less straightforward. In this third episode of Medicare Explained, skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard discuss Medicare item numbers for biopsies and other investigations, exploring the requirements for claiming rebates and some of the common areas of confusion for GPs. The conversation covers the distinction between diagnostic biopsies and procedures performed for treatment, including the specific considerations when assessing seborrhoeic keratoses. They also discuss the importance of sending biopsy samples for histopathological examination, the multiple operations rule, and how Medicare defines the aftercare period following a biopsy. Beyond biopsies, the episode explores other investigations relevant to skin cancer care, including total body photography, serial dermoscopy, and genetic testing, and what Medicare rebates are currently available for these services. They also discuss excisional biopsies, including the distinction between removing a lesion to establish a diagnosis and excising it with the intention of treatment. Whether you are reviewing your billing practices or looking to better understand the Medicare requirements that apply to skin cancer procedures, this episode offers a useful overview of the key considerations. Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here. Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Short Courses in Skin Cancer Explore single-topic CPD courses for focused learning in skin cancer medicine. Complete in less than 10 hours from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 Certificate Courses in Skin Cancer Dive deeper with HealthCert's university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation to elevate your skin cancer knowledge. ➡️ Explore full program > 🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >   Medicare Explained  This HealthCert Education podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice.

  2. Oct 23

    Beyond Medicare and the changing face of general practice

    General practice is evolving as clinicians and practice owners navigate financial pressures, changing patient expectations, and workforce challenges. For many, the traditional Medicare-only model is becoming harder to sustain, prompting new conversations about how practices operate and how GPs shape their careers. In this episode of Focused Practice Conversations, practice operations expert Matt Woollard speaks with Dr Chris Mitchell, rural GP and co-founder of Medius Global, about his Beyond Medicare report and what it reveals about the changing landscape of general practice. The discussion covers: The financial pressures facing general practice and the challenges of sustaining traditional Medicare-only models. How clinics are adapting through focused practice models, procedural work, private billing, niche services, and multidisciplinary care. Which types of clinics appear to be adapting best to the changing environment. Why diversification is becoming increasingly important for long-term sustainability, and how GPs are expanding their scope of practice and reshaping their careers. The role of ongoing education and upskilling in helping GPs respond to changing patient demand. The impact of these changes on GP morale and burnout, and how younger doctors' career expectations may differ from previous generations. Where GPs and practice owners can start when considering changes to their practice model, including mindset shifts and overlooked opportunities. What successful general practices might look like in the next five to ten years, and the outlook for the profession. For GPs and practice owners considering their next steps, this discussion offers an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing the profession and how practices might build more sustainable models of care, as Matt and Chris explore the future of general practice, the opportunities clinicians may be overlooking, and what successful practices could look like in the years ahead. Read the Beyond Medicare report here > Prefer a visual format? Watch this episode on the HealthCert Education YouTube channel.   Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 HealthCert Certificate Courses Deep dive into a university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation. ➡️ Explore Certificate pathways > 🎓 HealthCert Short Courses in Women's Health Explore focused, single-topic CPD courses. Complete in less than 10 hours, apply in practice the next day. From $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >

  3. Oct 16

    Understanding Medicare item numbers for GP consultations

    Choosing the correct Medicare item number for a consultation is not always straightforward, particularly when appointment lengths vary or a patient needs an additional skin check. In this second episode of Medicare Explained, skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard explore the Medicare item numbers commonly used for GP consultations, including in skin cancer medicine. They break down the criteria for standard consultations (item 23), longer consultations (item 36), and short consultations (item 3). The discussion examines what distinguishes these item numbers, why time spent with the patient matters, and how practice appointment schedules can support appropriate billing. They also discuss consultation documentation, tracking appointment times, and the potential compliance concerns associated with claiming longer consultation items. For GPs working in general practice and skin cancer medicine, understanding these distinctions can help clarify how consultation item numbers apply to everyday clinical scenarios. Listen to the episode below for a closer look at the criteria and considerations behind Medicare consultation billing. Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here. Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Short Courses in Skin Cancer Explore single-topic CPD courses for focused learning in skin cancer medicine. Complete in less than 10 hours from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 Certificate Courses in Skin Cancer Dive deeper with HealthCert's university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation to elevate your skin cancer knowledge. ➡️ Explore full program > 🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >   Medicare Explained  This HealthCert Education podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice.

  4. Oct 16

    Mastering in-clinic retail and product sales

    Most aesthetic clinicians are confident recommending treatments. Recommending what patients use at home is often a different story. Many worry about seeming “salesy,” feel uneasy asking patients to spend more, or simply leave retail to someone else. In this episode of The Aesthetic Shift, NP Kelly Beasy talks with Iola Ciavarra, director of aesthetics wholesaler Reveal and a 30-year industry veteran. Iola makes the case that recommending skincare is part of your duty of care. Your patients are already buying products, she points out. They’re just not buying them from you, and they’re often following influencer advice. The conversation covers: why a sale is really just a prescription with a transaction attached when to raise home care during a consultation the core products every clinic can start with common mistakes in choosing and displaying stock what a small retail range can do for your cash flow Iola’s advice is practical and easy to apply, whether you run a skin-focused clinic or an injectables-only practice. This is part one of a two-part mini-series with Iola. Look out for part two soon. Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here. Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Short Courses in Aesthetic Medicine Explore single-topic CPD courses in focused areas of cosmetic medicine for GPs and nurses. Complete in less than 10 hours, from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 Certificate Courses in Aesthetic Medicine Dive deeper with our university-assured, structured Professional Diploma pathway to elevate your skills in primary care aesthetic medicine. ➡️ Explore Certificate program > 🎓 HealthCert365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >

  5. Oct 2

    What is Medicare? Understanding the basics

    Medicare can feel complicated, particularly when you start navigating item descriptors, scheduled fees, benefit rates, and the rules around claiming. But understanding the fundamentals makes it much easier to see how the different pieces fit together. Welcome to this first episode of Medicare Explained — a new HealthCert Education podcast series for GPs. In the first episode, skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard go back to basics, looking at what Medicare actually is, how it operates as a government-funded insurance system, and the distinction between a scheduled fee, a Medicare benefit, and the fee charged by a practitioner. They also unpack the role of MBS item descriptors and why providing a service is not, by itself, enough to claim a Medicare benefit. The service must meet the requirements of the relevant descriptor, with clinical notes providing an important record of what was done. The discussion also explores explanatory notes, benefit rates, and the distinction between patient-initiated consultations and health screening services, including how this applies to skin cancer assessment in primary care. This episode sets the groundwork for the rest of the series, which will progressively explore consultations, investigation items, procedures, billing, and the medico-legal considerations GPs need to understand when working within the Medicare system. Prefer a visual format? Watch this podcast here.   Links discussed in this episode MBS Online: https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/ Understanding Medicare Provider Handbook: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/understanding-medicare-provider-handbook.pdf   Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Short Courses in Skin Cancer Explore single-topic CPD courses for focused learning in skin cancer medicine. Complete in less than 10 hours from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 Certificate Courses in Skin Cancer Dive deeper with HealthCert's university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation to elevate your skin cancer knowledge. ➡️ Explore full program > 🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >   Medicare Explained  This HealthCert Education podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice.

  6. Oct 2

    Medicare Explained Series Introduction

    Medicare Explained – a HealthCert Education podcast series with skin cancer doctor A/Prof Tony Dicker and practice operations expert Matt Woollard. This podcast series takes GPs through the essentials of Medicare billing, building from Medicare fundamentals and consultation billing to investigations, procedures, and more complex clinical scenarios — with an initial focus on skin cancer medicine but later expanding into other areas of primary care. The series also explores billing tools and resources, compliance, and medico-legal considerations, with real case examples to help translate the principles into day-to-day clinical practice. Learn more at https://www.healthcert.com/blog/tag/medicare-explained

  7. Oct 1

    Navigating perimenopause in general practice

    Perimenopause can present with a wide range of symptoms, making it easy for the consultation to become an unprioritised list of concerns. For women over 45 with typical symptoms and changing menstrual patterns, however, diagnosis is usually clinical, rather than dependent on hormone testing. In this HealthCert podcast, Dr Simone Gonzo explores a structured approach to assessment and management, including how to recognise perimenopause while avoiding diagnostic overshadowing. A key consideration is abnormal bleeding. While cycle changes are common during perimenopause, heavy, intermenstrual, postcoital, or postmenopausal bleeding should not simply be attributed to hormonal changes. Dr Gonzo discusses how to assess bleeding, identify relevant risk factors, and determine when further investigation or specialist assessment is warranted. The episode also covers symptom-focused management, including menopausal hormone therapy, non-hormonal options, genitourinary symptoms, contraception, and the role of the 52 mg LNG-IUD. Watch the full video podcast here.   NEW CASE-BASED SHORT COURSE Case Management: Perimenopause Work through realistic perimenopause presentations and build confidence in differential diagnosis, individualised risk assessment, safe prescribing of hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, and shared decision-making. 🌐 Online   ⌛ 6 hours CPD   💲$295 👉 Explore course > Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Certificate Courses Deep-dive into a university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation in Women's Health. ➡️ Explore Certificate Courses > 🎓 Short Courses Explore 400+ short, focused, single-topic CPD courses — and learn exactly what you need, when you need it. Complete in less than 10 hours. ➡️ Browse Short Courses >

  8. Sep 30

    Beyond ‘normal’: Women’s health symptoms GPs should explore further

    Women may live with pain, heavy or difficult periods, postnatal symptoms, hormonal changes, or other concerns for years because they have come to see them as simply part of being a woman. But while a symptom may be common, that does not necessarily mean it should be accepted without further assessment. In this episode of Focused Practice Conversations, practice operations expert Matt Woollard speaks with Dr Sneha Wadhwani, GP and National Clinical Director of Evoca Women’s Health, about the women’s health presentations that can sometimes be minimised or overlooked in general practice. The conversation explores how GPs can recognise when a seemingly routine concern warrants a deeper look, the questions that may uncover important information, and how continuity of care can help connect symptoms that might otherwise appear unrelated. Dr Wadhwani also discusses where knowledge and confidence gaps can affect women’s health consultations, and simple ways GPs can approach these conversations more confidently.   Looking to expand your women’s health expertise? Evoca's Annual Women’s Health Conference brings together leading experts for a full day covering menopause, pelvic pain, fertility, breast health, pelvic floor disorders, and more, with a strong focus on primary care. 📍 Saturday 17 October, Sydney 👉 Download more information >   Next steps in your learning journey 🎓 Certificate Courses in Women's Health Deep dive into a university-assured, structured pathway from foundation to subspecialisation in women's health. ➡️ Explore program > 🎓 Short Courses in Women's Health Explore focused, single-topic CPD courses in women's health. Complete in less than 10 hours, from $195. ➡️ Browse Short Courses > 🎓 HealthCert 365 subscription Prefer flexible learning across many topics? Access 4,000+ CPD hours on-demand with HealthCert 365 — anytime, any topic, one flat annual fee. ➡️ Discover HealthCert 365 >   Focused Practice Conversations series HealthCert Education's Focused Practice Conversations podcast series explores how GPs build focused areas of practice, why they chose that path, what changed in their clinic, and whether going deeper into one niche was ultimately worth it. Hosted by Matt Woollard.

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Practical advice from leading clinicians and educators to help doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals treat with confidence and expand their scope of practice. HealthCert Insights is presented by HealthCert Education.

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