New scans added to Medicare benefits
From 1 September, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans for cancer of the oesophagus or the gastro-oesophageal junction, and for head and neck cancer will be funded under Medicare.
The Australian Government has endorsed the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) recommendation to include the three new scans on the Medicare schedule.
PET is a technology that uses radiation to provide images to assess the development of diseases that may not be detectable via other imaging methods such as computerised axial tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
It is used predominantly in determining the presence and severity of cancers, neurological conditions, and cardiovascular disease.
PET services are already funded under Medicare for the diagnosis of epilepsy, small lesions in the lungs, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer.
While PET is not a treatment, the image data it provides can be incorporated into clinical plans to help doctors understand the location and stage of a disease. It also can detect whether a cancer is still active after treatment, and whether or not surgery would be beneficial.
The Australian Government has a role to ensure that new medical technologies are introduced and funded responsibly, while allowing Australians access to appropriate and effective medical services. MSAC will continue to examine other potential opportunities where PET would be effective, and will provide recommendations to the Government on any future expansion of PET Medicare items.
The Government has actively supported an increase in access to PET services, which are now available via 20 PET scanners at 17 locations. In 2008-09, more than 22,600 PET services were provided throughout Australia at a cost of $20.1 million.
