In case you missed it, reactions to the Federal Government’s plan to effectively cut the Medicare rebates available to the public on some v. important tests and procedures has ranged from “uh, don’t you think that seems a bit excessive?” to “excuse me, but what the flying fuck are you doing?”
The cuts, which look to take $650m from the current system, have been called into question for possibly discouraging Australians – particularly women – from getting some really important tests done. The subsidies available for pap smears are likely to be reduced, and you can expect blood, urine, and STI tests to have a price hike too.
Recently, the
Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia even went as far to say that
“if people opt out of pathology testing because they are worried about how much it is going to cost, there will be a resurgence in late diagnosis of cancer, and there will be adverse outcomes.”
The thing is, pathology for possible cancer patients is only one area expected to face cuts, and medical imagery professionals have said that tests that are vital in diagnosing cancer are up for some sizeable price-hikes too. Now, the Guardian reports the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association said some patients could even face out-of-pocket charges of over $1,000 – just on the preliminaries.
That’s before treatment. Before diagnosis, even.
Chief Executive of the Association, Pattie Beerens, said the upcoming out-of-pocket charges “are significant amounts for patients to forego.” Patients awaiting a melanoma diagnoses – melanoma’s already in the top five most commonly diagnosed cancers in in Australia, BTW – could cop the worst of it, but breast- and thyroid cancer patients may also see charges upwards of $300 on procedures that were previously covered. Significant amounts for sure, especially if they were bulk billed beforehand.
Again, that’s just on testing; while vital, bringing out-of-pocket expenses into the picture could, unfortunately, deter a slew of at-risk Aussies from getting the attention they need. The eventual costs of treating those illnesses in later stages would well outweigh the cost of the tests, too.
While a spokesperson for
Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley said those charges won’t
have to be passed on to the patient, Beerens says, on the real, they most likely will.
More evidence that this sorta thing affects the lot of us, not just those who need access to pap smears. A viral change.org petition aimed at stifling the cuts entirely is already nearing 200,000 signatures.
Story: Guardian.
Photo: Media For Medical / Getty.
