Medicare Rebates Should Cover Diagnostic Imaging - ADIA

The Australian Diagnostic and Imaging Association (ADIA) is lobbying government to ensure Medicare covers the cost of MRIs to help with the detection and treatment of prostate cancer.

With prostate cancer being the most common cancer in Australian men, and one of the few cancers that can be cured if found early enough, ADIA says this is a perfect example of the pressing need for Medicare’s rebates to keep up with advances in diagnostic imaging.

“If Medicare – our national health insurance scheme – doesn’t properly cover such a widespread and deadly condition as prostate cancer, then surely something is wrong,” Dr Sue Ulreich, ADIA president said.

A study by Griffith University’s Health Institute found men with prostate cancer are being hit by out of pocket expenses of $23,000 because of shortfalls in the Medicare rebates.

“The simple fact is that, because of that huge cost, many men simply aren’t diagnosed and treated early enough and therefore their survival rate is much lower," Dr Ulreich said.

Modern medical imaging technology, like MRI, is critical for a patient with prostate cancer. Not only does imaging help detect early stage tumors, it allows more precise treatment of the cancer, and can also help identify higher grade (more dangerous) tumors which will affect treatment regimens.

“Now Australia has a new Federal Health Minister, we’re calling on Canberra to act on this serious issue,” Dr Ulreich said. “As the health insurance scheme for all Australians, it’s abundantly clear that Medicare rebates should cover MRIs to detect and treat prostate cancer. “But in truth we need to go further than that – the simple fact is that Medicare rebates for medical imaging have not been indexed since 1998. “This means the gaps patients have to pay, for all kinds of lifesaving imaging not just MRIs, have been steadily growing for 15 years and are now increasing at a totally unsustainable rate of 10% per annum.”

While diagnostic imaging is not indexed to match rising costs, virtually everything else covered by Medicare is, including items like acupuncture, IVF and podiatry.

More and more cancer patients are opting not to have images taken because they simply can’t afford the gap payments.

ADIA wants to work with the Commonwealth Government to develop a sustainable solution that will improve Medicare rebates for all patients