Did anyone else do the BCNA survey?

Hi Everyone

This is Kathy from BCNA's Policy Team. I've just seen this blog from last month and thought I should respond.

Ths issue of Medicare rebates for breast MRIs has been on our agenda for some time. There are currently two applications before the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) to extend Medicare rebates for breast MRIs. BCNA has provided submissions to MSAC in support of both applications.

The first application is for MRI screening of women at high risk of developing breast cancer. This includes women under 50 who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer. We agree with Viv W above that it is entirely unfair that a young woman who is at high risk but has not had a diagnosis of breast cancer can access a Medicare rebate, but if she is diagnosed with breast cancer she is no longer eligible.

This application is being considered by MSAC soon. You can read BCNA's submission on our website.

The second application is to extend Medicare rebates for MRI for a number of other purposes, including for presurgical planning, for women with lobular breast cancer, and for women with dense breast tissue where mammogram and ultrasound is inconclusive.

Hopefully this application will be considered by MSAC later in the year.

We will post something on our website we know the outcomes of these two applications.

BCNA is also in the middle of preparing a submission to a federal Parliamentary inquiry into the out of pocket costs of health care. We will definitely include something on MRI in that. You can read more about the inquiry, and how to make a submission, in the News section of our website.

Thanks for raising this important issue on the online network.

Kathy