What Are Item Codes?
Item Codes represent billable services and stock/products that are added to invoices. Item codes should be created for every unique service or product in your practice.
To create Item Codes, go to Settings > Billing > Item Codes
Click Add to create a new Item Code.
Need help with typical private health fund item codes?
If you're unsure of item codes applicable to patients paying for their services, a good place to start is with the standard item codes for private health fund claiming, which can be found for most professions by clicking here.
Setting up Item Codes for the NDIS?
If you're setting up Item Codes for the NDIS, there are a number of important things to consider. More information is available in our NDIS guide below.
Item Code Preferences
When setting up an Item Code, begin by configuring the following settings:
Item Code - A unique identifier for this Item Code (7 characters max). This is typically the item exactly as it needs to be printed on an invoice that you would provide to a patient if they were to e.g. submit the invoice to their health fund to claim manually.
Description - A description of the item that is printed on receipts, invoices, and statements.
Schedule - Assigns the Item Code to a Schedule, which is used to group and sort items when displayed in lists and reports.
Print Code As (Optional) - If you've chosen a non-standard Item Code, the Print Code As field will be used instead when printing/emailing receipts, invoices and statements. The Item Code becomes an 'internal item code' that clinic staff are familiar with, while the Print Code As option is the 'patient facing' item code.
Barcode (Optional) - Allows searching by barcode number on the invoice screen. This is useful when using a barcode scanner to add products to an invoice.
Setting Item Fees and GST
Single Fee for all Patients
If the fee for the item is the same for all patients, enter the fee as required. You can also choose if GST should be applied when adding the item to an invoice.
If you're running a promotion, you can also enter a standard discount to be applied when adding the item to an invoice.
Different Fees per Fee Category
If the item fee varies based on the funding type of the patient, for example, concessions, pensioners and family members pay a lower rate for the same item code, you can set a different fee per Fee Category.
Claiming Options
Claiming Options in PracSuite are specifically used when integrating with third-party claiming systems. If your practice does not use these integrations, you can disregard this section.
The Claiming Override Code is only required when the standard Item Code used for billing is different from the code required for electronic claims. This ensures that the correct code is used when submitting claims, without altering how it appears on invoices or receipts.
For example:
• A podiatry service may have an Item Code of F012, which needs to appear on invoices for patient records.
• However, for electronic claims, the system may need to submit 012 instead.
• In this case, the Claiming Override Code would be set to 012 to ensure smooth processing.
Important Considerations
• The Claiming Override Code is not meant to handle cases where a single Item Code needs to support multiple claim types.
• If an item is billed differently depending on the patient’s funding type (e.g., private, Medicare, DVA), separate Item Codes should be created for each scenario.
Example: Physiotherapy Billing
A physiotherapy practice might have the following Item Codes based on funding type:
• 500 – Used for private-paying initial consultations
• 10960 – Used for Medicare billing
• PH10 – Used for DVA billing
Each of these should be set up as a distinct Item Code rather than relying on a Claiming Override Code.
Stock/Product Items
If you're the Item Code you're configuring is a stock or product, you can enable PracSuite's supplier, stock level and stock ordering features.
Fee Overrides
If certain practitioners charge more or less for the same Item Code, rather than creating a completely separate Item Code, you can add a Fee Override to that Item Code.
In the Fee Overrides section, select Add Fee Overrides to add an override.
Click Save to finalise your changes.
How do Item Codes and Appointment Types work together?
Item Codes represent the services or products you bill for, while Appointment Types define the structure of bookings. Though they often overlap, their interaction is crucial to ensure accurate billing, especially when different Fee Categories apply.
Here’s how they work together:
• Appointment Types determine the type of service being booked (e.g., Initial Consultation, Follow-Up, Telehealth).
• Fee Categories define the funding arrangement for the patient (e.g., Private, Medicare, DVA, Workcover).
To streamline invoicing, you can configure Appointment Types to automatically select the appropriate Item Code based on the patient’s Fee Category.
For example:
• You create a single Appointment Type called “Initial Consultation.”
• The system applies different Item Codes based on the patient’s Fee Category:
• Private Patient: Bills Item Code 500
• Medicare Patient: Bills Item Code 10960
• DVA Patient: Bills Item Code PH10
• Workcover Patient: Bills a Workcover-specific Item Code
This setup ensures that staff don’t need to manually select the correct Item Code each time—they simply book the appointment, and PracSuite applies the correct billing logic automatically.
With this setup, you maintain flexibility while ensuring accurate and efficient billing across different patient funding types.