22 June 2020
Today, I am launching a new campaign to fight for a Medicare license for the MRI machine at Box Hill Hospital.
Box Hill Hospital has a brand new, state-of-the-art MRI machine. But unless you’re admitted as a hospital inpatient, local residents are forced to pay the full fee of up to $500 per scan.
That’s because the Morrison Liberal National Government hasn’t granted Box Hill Hospital a Medicare license for MRI tests.
I am inviting local residents and anyone concerned about access to good healthcare to sign the petition to save Medicare scans at Box Hill Hospital, which can be found on my website.
Locals in Box Hill and the surrounding eastern suburbs of Melbourne should have access to the medical and diagnostic tests they need, close to their homes and without being charged high out-of-pocket costs.
As Australians, we are very proud of our universal health system. We are all safe in the knowledge that when we get sick, we will get the medical help we need.
But when it comes to diagnosing a problem, our system can let people down. Tests like MRI scans aren’t always covered by Medicare and not every provider can charge the cost of a patient’s test to Medicare.
That means patients have to stump up anywhere between $200 and $500 for their MRI. That’s a lot of money for people to find at a time often already full of uncertainty and stress.
MRIs save lives. But, for residents of Box Hill and surrounds that’s only if they can afford the high out-of-pocket costs.
Labor committed to allocating a full Medicare license to Box Hill Hospital at the last election. I call on the Liberal Government to allocate the license so local residents can access the MRI scans they need without being charged high out-of-pocket costs.
