Patients to Benefit From 30 Additional MRI Licences for Regional Australia
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced another 30 regional licences for Medicare-rebated magnetic resonance imaging services.
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21 June 2012
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek today announced another 30 regional licences for Medicare-rebated magnetic resonance imaging services.
Under a $104.4 million Diagnostic Imaging Review Reform Package, thousands of additional patients will benefit from having access to faster diagnosis of medical conditions and more timely choices of treatment.
“Thousands of patients living in regional Australia who require MRI scans will benefit from more affordable services offered under this package,” said Ms Plibersek.
“This package will increase the number of Medicare-eligible MRI services operating nationally and enable the sector to meet the projected demand for these services into the future.”
Ms Plibersek said it was important to fund services in rural and regional Australia, where coverage of Medicare-eligible MRI services was less concentrated than metropolitan areas.
This announcement will bring the total number of Medicare-eligible MRI services available in regional Australia to 64.
“The package delivers on the Gillard Government’s commitment to provide more health services to areas of need in regional Australian.”
MRI uses magnetic fields to generate images that help diagnose illness. It is especially effective on soft tissue, making it important for working with patients suffering from cancers and strokes.
On top of the 30 regional licences, the Government will also extend partial Medicare eligibility to 161 existing or planned MRI operators in metropolitan areas. This will mean greater access for patients to Medicare-eligible MRI services for breast cancers and the staging of rectal and cervical cancers. These changes will take effect from 1 November 2012.
The Government is also committed to making scans cheaper for patients through bulk billing. The 2011-12 Budget increased the bulk-billing incentive for MRI scans to 100 per cent of the scheduled fee and this took effect on 1 May this year.
For more information please contact the Minister’s Office on 02 6277 7220
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PDF printable version of the MRI Expansion Summary of MRI Units (PDF 173 KB)
MRI Expansion Summary of MRI Units To Be Granted Medicare Eligibility From 1 November 2012
Regional Full Medicare Eligible MRI Units
| State | LSPN | Practice Name | Address | Access to MBS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 2229 | NCAHS | Lismore Base Hospital 60 Uralba St LISMORE NSW 2480 | Full |
| NSW | tba | Illawarra International Health Precinct | Cnr of Huntley and Avondale Road PENROSE NSW 2530 | Full |
| NSW | 6035 | GWAHS | Orange Health Service (Orange Hospital) Forest Rd ORANGE NSW 2800 | Full |
| NSW | 2609 | Highlands Xray* | U4 380 Bong Bong St BOWRAL NSW 2576 | Full |
| NSW | 329 | North Coast Radiology | Clarence Valley Radiology 137 Fitzroy St GRAFTON NSW 2460 | Full |
| NSW | 4423* | X-Ray Group* | Albury Base Hospital 201 Borella Road ALBURY NSW 2640 | Full |
| NSW | 5826 | Beachside Radiology | 20 Park Avenue COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450 | Full |
| NSW | 370 | PRP (Bathurst) | 117 Bentinck St BATHURST NSW 2795 | Full |
| NSW | 1697 | South East Radiology (Bowral) | Bowral Medical and Specialist Centre 70 Bowral St BOWRAL NSW 2576 | Full |
| NSW | 4602 | Innovative Radiology | Clear Radiology 221 Kincaid St WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650 | Full |
| NSW | 2481 | NCAHS | Coffs Harbour Health Campus 345 Pacific Hwy COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2430 | Full |
| NSW | tba | Port Imaging Pty Ltd | 63-65 Lord St PORT MACQUARIE NSW 2444 | Full |
| QLD | 5234 | Fraser Coast Radiology | 76 Main St PIALBA QLD 4655 (Hervey Bay) | Full |
| QLD | 462 | Northwest Queensland Radiology | 30 Camooweal St MT ISA QLD 4825 | Full |
| QLD | 484 | Bundaberg Medical Imaging | Friendly Society Private Hospital 17-23 Bingera St BUNDABERG QLD 4670 | Full |
| QLD | 761 | Queensland X-Ray Mater Mackay* | 76 Willets Road NORTH MACKAY QLD 4740 | Full |
| QLD | 1167 | Queensland Xray* | Radiology Department 22-36 Scott St EAST TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 | Full |
| QLD | 1202 | Queensland XRay | St Andrew's Hospital 280 North Street TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 | Full |
| QLD | 5861 | Queensland X-Ray - Domain* | SE 21A, 103 Duckworth St GARBUTT QLD 4814 | Full |
| QLD | 341 | Piercove Pty Ltd | North QLD X-Ray Services (Cairns) 126 Muilgrave Rd CAIRNS QLD 4870 | Full |
| QLD | 553 | North QLD X-Ray Services | 91 Thuringowa Drive KIRWAN QLD 4817 | Full |
| TAS | TBA | NWAHS | Northwest Regional Hospital 23 Brickport Road Burnie, Tasmania | Full |
| TAS | 5059 | Radiology Tasmania* | 314 Macquarie Street SOUTH HOBART TAS 7004 | Full |
| VIC | 5968 | Base Group Imaging | Cathedral Radiology - High Street Xray 149-151 High Street BENDIGO NSW 3550 | Full |
| VIC | 3817 | Lake Imaging | St John of God Hospital 101 Drummond St BALLARAT VIC 3350 | Full |
| VIC | 4912 | Capital Radiology and Katbin | Lime Avenue Radiology 93-95 Mildura Avenue MILDURA VIC 3500 | Full |
| VIC | 190 | Bendigo Radiology | Bendigo Health Care Group (Acute Care Campus) Stewart St BENDIGO VIC 3550 | Full |
| VIC | 1019 | South West Healthcare* | Warrnambool Radiology Ryot St WARRNAMBOOL VIC 3280 | Full |
| VIC | 1908 | Mildura Medical Imaging (Sunraysia Medical Imaging) | Mildura Base (Public) Hospital Ontario Ave MILDURA VIC 3500 | Full |
| WA | 735 | Geraldton Radiology | SJOG Health Care Campus 12 Hermitage Street GERALDTON WA 6530 | Full |
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