Breast MRI

Moosie

IVe been talking to our local federal member about Medicare not covering breast MRI. Has anyone been able to have a breast MRI that was covered my Medicare?  I’ve had two and they cost $500 each. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. 

smokie08

Hi moosie I  had a mri before surgery at the local private hospital  as the main hospital machine was not working. They were going to charge me but as i said  i was from  the  main hospital i was not  charged  got it on medicare  i supposed. My oncologist who has rooms at the  private hospital asked if they tried to charge me  as it must  happen. I  think all the tests ect we have for the shit should all be on medicare as it's not our fault we got this crap!!!  Take care  and have a good Xmas

primek

I only had one through the RAH (Adelaide ....500k away from me) and was bulk billed. But I had freqent gated blood pool scans in Mildura (300k from me)  and paid a huge gap. When  I had it done at RAH it was free. The one at Mildura is private radiology inside a public hospital. I guess that's the fifference. 

onemargie

Hi there there is certain MRI procedures that can be funded by Medicare and some that aren’t and it sometimes comes down to how the referal is worded. Which sounds ridiculous doesn’t it. I work as a nurse in a gp clinic and I’ve had to ring the radiography company only to have them say if dr wrote it this way and not that it would be bulk billed and that’s a private company too. So check with you gp they can check with Medicare or the radiology company first to ask how to word it so it is bulk billed or perhaps like mentioned above it might not be funded by Medicare at all which surely must be ridiculous but I’ll find out for sure from work and get back to you all. or do the referal to your local public hospital as it should always be bulk billed there for sure. My husband had a MRI of his knee bulk billed with a private company as the dr worded it right so surely boobs are covered too  and also there are certain MRIs that can be bulk billed if the referal is done by a specialist and not a gp so check that out too. Hope this helps. Margie.   Xxx

Crusty

All my scans including mri have been bulk billed through the local public hospital but are done across the rd from the hospital im in queensland as far as i know public hospitals bulk bill but private hospitals charge upfront and you get a rebate back.

June1952

MRIs are charged for according to the letter of referral.  Recently my husband was required to have one to determine the extent (if any) of dementia.  We had to pay a huge out of pocket.  If the referral was worded for unexplained headaches there would have been no gap fee.  Go figure !
Most public hospitals have outsourced their radiology departments as well as the pharmacy and blood takers so this is a good money spinner all round.
Over it !

kezmusc

My first MRI was referred by a public hospital  so was no charge.

 I asked for an MRI as well as the usual scans at 12 months as my breast lesion was very difficult to find at the beginning. 

 Here's the funny thing (well kind of)  because I no longer checked the boxes for the bulk billing, for example,  checking a lump that I had found (already gone obviously) close family history of breast cancer, none,  and a number of other things, I was no longer considered in the high risk box...omg...did I laugh at the poor lady on the phone. So according to them I am no longer high risk with 20mm breast tumour, 25mm lymph tumour and 5/24 nodes positive history.  Wow, I can relax now.   $575.00 thank you very much. 

I recently requested a brain MRI due to extreme poor memory, brain fog, lack of focus, getting words backwards etc which I was pretty sure was from the Tamoxifen.  Turns out it is, how nice. Only another 91/2 years to go. Luckily my GP knew about the guidlines and put in "headaches" as well.  Bulk billed. Geez.  Who makes these rules.  

CarmelS

Medicare is a strange & somewhat disturbed beast.  With a family history (including myself & a sister who has passed away this year from Mets)  I & two of my sisters have had MRI for free before we turned 50 ......but once you turn 50 you no longer get it for free & there is no Medicare rebate. We do go to a private imaging place & three of us see the same person for continuity purposes. He doesn’t charge us for the breast ultrasound on the day though because he thinks it’s crazy the way Medicare is. 
Needless to say we love him.
Carmel

Lisa Janelle

Does DCIS show up on a mri????