Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulations 2010

2.3.1 Meaning of serial examinations or cultures

For an item in Group P3 (Microbiology):

(a) serial examinations or cultures means a series of examinations or cultures requested on 1 occasion whether or not:

(i) the materials are received on different days by the approved pathology practitioner; or

(ii) the examinations or cultures were requested on 1 or more request forms by the treating practitioner; and

(b) if:

(i) tests are carried out in relation to a patient episode; and

(ii) specimen material from the patient episode is stored; and

(iii) in response to a request made within 14 days of the patient episode, further tests are carried out on the stored material;

the later tests and the earlier tests are taken to be part of 1 patient episode.