According to the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association, many Australians face an upfront cost barrier when seeking an MRI because you could have to cough up an average of $523.
Medicare subsidies for diagnostic imaging
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.
Medicare almost always covers MRI scans as long as it has been ordered by a GP or a recognised medical specialist. They generally cost around $100 to $500 but you might not have any out of pocket expenses because it's often bulk billed.
In Australia, the cost of an MRI scan can range from $100 up to $500. However, Medicare will cover 100% of the cost if you are a public patient in a public hospital.
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.
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.
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.
Brain CT scans
A CT scan uses X-rays to produce images, unlike an MRI scan which uses magnetic fields and radio waves.
Generally, CT scans are better at spatial resolution, while MRIs are better at contrast resolution. That means CT scans are good at showing us where the edges of things are — where this structure ends and that other one begins.
More specifically, a brain or head MRI can show if there are any abnormalities in your brain or the surrounding tissues, including, but not limited to: Inflammation and swelling. Structural issues. Abnormal growths or masses.
You will need a referral from a specialist or GP to have an MRI.
According to Time Magazine, the average cost of an MRI in the United States is $2,611. As the article correctly states, there are many factors for this and the costs may vary widely from just over a hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars.
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.
Brain – indications include stroke, temporal lobe epilepsy, infection, inflammation, tumour, multiple sclerosis (MS), dementia, post-trauma, metabolic disorders, congenital malformations, internal auditory canal pathology, vascular pathology, pituitary fossa pathology, nerve palsies and metabolic disorders.
MRI gives very detailed pictures of soft tissues like the brain. Air and hard bone do not give an MRI signal so these areas appear black.
MRI is able to image the structure of the brain, which changes in dementia, to a very high resolution. For example, a characteristic sign of Alzheimer's disease is atrophy (shrinking) of a brain region called the hippocampus. This can easily be seen on an MRI scan and is currently used to aid diagnosis.
Since the MRI machines are magnets, it is best to not apply deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes, or body lotions before the examination. These items contain metals that might interfere with the magnetic field inside the MRI machine and cause you to have distorted images and wrong results.
It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for the results of an MRI scan to come through, unless they're needed urgently.
How long does a head or brain MRI take? Depending on the focus of the scan, a head or brain MRI generally takes 30 to 60 minutes.
The magnetic fields that change with time create loud knocking noises which may harm hearing if adequate ear protection is not used. They may also cause peripheral muscle or nerve stimulation that may feel like a twitching sensation. The radiofrequency energy used during the MRI scan could lead to heating of the body.
Many experts debate how often an MRI scan of the brain, but many believe that having an MRI twice annually is safe. However, the number of MRI scans you may need depends on your situation, condition, and doctor's recommendation.
A head MRI scan can diagnose issues having to do with the brain, nerves of the brain, inflammation in the head, inner ear problems, and the spinal cord.