Melbourne Radiology Clinic
Ground Floor
Suite 3-6, 100 Victoria Parade
East Melbourne VIC 3002
Ph: 03 9667 1667
Fax: 03 9667 1666

Appointments

 

Adult MRI – Medicare Rebate Items for GPs

MRI Scans Bulk-Billed

GP Referred MRI Items for Adults for Specified Conditions.

At Melbourne Radiology Clinic, the following adult (16 years and over) MRI services referred by a GP are bulk billed as per the below schedule:

One of the key initiatives of the Diagnostic Imaging Reform Package is to expand patient access to MRI services across Australia.

This includes increased access to MRI services for primary care patients 16 years and over by extending requesting rights to GPs for a small set of clinically appropriate indications.

Bulk-Billed*
  • MRI Head / Brain

  • Clinical Indications:

    • unexplained seizure(s) and;
    • unexplained chronic headache
    • suspected intracranial pathology
    • [*GP Referred]

    • MRI Gallery
Bulk-Billed*
  • MRI Cervical Spine - Radiculopathy

  • Clinical Indications:

    • for suspected cervical radiculopathy
    • [*GP Referred]

    • MRI Gallery
Bulk-Billed*
  • MRI Cervical Spine - Trauma

  • Clinical Indications:

    • for suspected cervical spine trauma
    • [*GP Referred]

    • MRI Gallery
Bulk-Billed*
  • MRI Knee

  • Clinical Indications:

    • following acute trauma for patients with inability to extend the knee suggesting the possibility of acute meniscal tear or;
    • clinical finding suggesting acute anterior cruciate ligament tear
    • [*GP Referred:
      patients aged 16 -49 years only]

    • MRI Gallery

Medicare Update:
Changes to Medicare Funded Knee Imaging Services – 1 Nov 2018.

GPs will not be able to request more than three knee MRIs per patient per annum for patients aged 16-49 and will not be able to refer patients aged 50 years and over for knee MRIs.

From 1 November 2018, new restrictions will be introduced to limit the ability of general practitioners (GPs) to request knee MRIs for patients 50 years and over (MBS items 63560 & 63561). Specialists will still be able to request knee MRIs for any patient, regardless of the patient’s age.

Note.

A Medicare rebate for these Adult MRI scans is ONLY CLAIMABLE if one of the clinical indications shown as above is specified in the ‘Clinical Details’ section of the radiology request referral form.

Adult Patients not meeting the criteria outlined above are unable to have their MRI expenses claimed from Medicare or any private health fund, so patients are liable for the entire expense of the MRI examination.

MRI Galleries – Clinical Case Examples.