MRIs are free for inpatients in public hospitals, or when bulk-billed at a radiology practice – providing you have a referral from a specialist or GP and your scan is a Medicare-eligible procedure.
For services listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), Medicare covers some or all of the costs of: CT scans. nuclear medicine scans. MRI scans.
At FMIG we can bulk bill specific MRI scans referred by GPs, which fulfil the Medicare criteria. Click here for Medicare details and item numbers. Please ask your GP if you are eligible for a bulk billed scan. Our Hawthorn site has the facility to perform the scan under short sedation for claustrophobic patients.
Who can refer me for an MRI? In Australia, all primary health care practitioners can refer people to have MRI scans. This includes general practitioners [GP], chiropractors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, podiatrists, dentists, and medical specialists.
Can I request an MRI scan on the NHS? Your GP can refer you to an NHS pathway for an MRI scan or directly to us for a self-pay MRI scan. According to the NHS Constitution, the waiting time aim for diagnostic imaging is six weeks.
How long is the MRI referral waiting time? Patients seeking a scan through the NHS will need a referral form from their GP. The NHS waiting time aim between referral and diagnostic imaging is six weeks.
Most MRI scans do not require preparation. If preparation is required, you will be informed in advance on your appointment letter. All MRI scans need a referral letter from your consultant.
Medicare and health insurance won't cover MRI scans that are classified as outpatient services. However, both can cover you if you're admitted to hospital and require an MRI scan during the course of your treatment.
Medicare and private health insurance can cover MRI scans. While it can be expensive, an MRI is often completely free for many Australians.
A MRI scan typically takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to perform. You will be asked to change into and wear an examination gown provided for you. As a strong magnet is used, all metallic devices MUST be removed before entering the MRI room.
From 1 November 2022, any MRI equipment located at accredited comprehensive practices in Modified Monash (MM) 2-7 areas will be able to provide Medicare eligible MRI services. Prior to this date, only machines subject to a Deed of Undertaking (often referred to as a licence) can provide Medicare eligible services.
For example, an MRI that screens a specific body part can cost $1,000 while a full-body MRI could be up to $5,000.
Expensive to Buy and Install
MRI machines must be installed in magnetically sterile clean rooms that eliminate outside interference while protecting people and property outside the room from the magnetic fields. This can push the installation cost alone up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The MRI scan is used to investigate or diagnose conditions that affect soft tissue, such as: Tumours, including cancer. Soft tissue injuries such as damaged ligaments. Joint injury or disease.
From 1 March 2023, there will be a new MBS item (63564) for an annual whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan for eligible patients who carry a heritable germline or mosaic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in the TP53 gene.
As an MRI doesn't fall under extras, but also isn't something that typically requires a hospital admission, it's not covered under Private Health Insurance.
MRI and CT scans use different technology to create diagnostic images of your body. MRI uses radio waves, while CT uses X-rays. CT scans are used to diagnose different conditions than MRI scans. For example, if you had a suspected fracture, a CT scan is more suitable for finding the problem.
Generally, an MRI can help your doctor identify what is causing your health issue so that he or she can diagnose you accurately and prescribe a treatment plan. Depending on your symptoms, an MRI will scan a specific portion of your body to diagnose: Tumors. Heart damage.
You and your patients can claim Medicare benefits for diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology services if your practice has: a Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN)
What are the changes? 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.
Generally, the fastest way to get an MRI is to go to an emergency room or an urgent care center if it is a medical emergency.
This means it's unlikely you'll get the results of your scan immediately. The Radiologist will send a report to the doctor who arranged the scan. They'll discuss the results with you. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for the results of an MRI scan to come through, unless they're needed urgently.
Physiotherapists do a physical examination to screen you for serious problems, but if we are in doubt, we can refer for x-rays and MRI scans at your local hospital. If a physio is not getting improvement within 4 treatments, they will usually refer you for a second opinion, or a scan.