Medical software vendors and health funds were left scrambling over the weekend as the Department of Health hurried through changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule for cardiac imaging services, with one vendor complaining they were only given one day's notice before the update came into effect on September 15.

The changes to 10 item numbers for stress echocardiography and continuous electrocardiogram recording were legislated on September 10 and a data file added to MBS Online on September 12 for downloading into medical software.