Experts worry the potential of a gender bias along with complexities within the Medicare system are failing women
A senseless Medicare restriction preventing women from claiming rebates for multiple breast cancer diagnostic tests on the same day will be a thing of the past under proposed changes to the system.
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A senseless Medicare restriction preventing women from claiming rebates for multiple breast cancer diagnostic tests on the same day will be a thing of the past under proposed changes to the system.
The changes will mean women undergoing breast cancer diagnostic testing could find out their results sooner, as they will now be able to access multiple imaging services on the same day.
Previously, Medicare restrictions meant women couldn’t claim a rebate for both a breast ultrasound and a biopsy performed during the same appointment, forcing many to delay vital procedures or pay hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket.
The changes follow growing pressure from healthcare professionals, including Brisbane breast radiologist Dr Jacqueline Milne, who’s been pushing for an update to the rebate system for years.
“This is a wonderful step forward for the women of Australia. It also reduces the risk of patients not being followed up,” she said.
Dr Milne said the proposed change, which allows ultrasound-guided biopsies to be billed on the same day as a scheduled ultrasound, will enable women to be quickly triaged and receive their diagnosis sooner.
“This allows for earlier treatment planning and relieves the anxiety associated with waiting for diagnosis,” she said.
She added that in a bulk billing setting, the change could save patients as much as $104.05 per visit, reducing financial barriers and encouraging more efficient same-day care pathways.
“This will help women obtain care faster, and will likely change the way some clinics are set up to allow for same-day services,” Dr Milne said.
“If you do an ultrasound-guided biopsy on the same day as you do a breast ultrasound, you couldn’t claim the rebate for both,” she said.
“That meant patients either waited longer or paid out-of-pocket. These delays can have serious implications for women needing urgent diagnosis.”
The Brisbane radiologist said this change should help to reduce wait times, improve turnaround on results, ease patient anxiety, and lessen their financial burden.
The Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association has also welcomed the long-awaited Medicare changes, with President Dr Ron Shnier calling them a major step forward for accessible, timely care.
“ADIA welcomes moves by the Commonwealth to address Medicare settings that previously prevented women from claiming multiple breast imaging services on the same day,” Dr Shnier said.
“However, in overall terms, it is a very small step. The underlying issues remain.”
Dr Shnier’s comments come as ADIA said the 2025-26 federal budget provided a glimmer of hope for women needing breast imaging services, but left unaddressed a range of underlying issues impacting care for radiology patients in Australia.
Additionally, they said the budget brought no relief for patients struggling with the rising cost of living, with the government showing no movement on measures to allow patients to only pay the gap.
“Relieving patients from high upfront costs by allowing them to only pay the gap between the cost of the service and their Medicare rebate is just common sense – and yet we are still stuck with an outdated billing system,” Dr Shnier said.
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Originally published as Experts worry the potential of a gender bias along with complexities within the Medicare system are failing women
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