Online pap smear petition gathers 100k signatures
January 7, 2016
AUSTRALIAN women are taking
a stand against the Government’s
proposed changes to the Medicare
rebate scheme; which pathologists
and medical researchers say could
render patients paying up to 30
dollars for pap smears.
“It is disgusting that your
government is cutting bulk billing
incentives for pap smears, MRI’s,
urine/blood tests, X-rays and
ultrasounds,” reads the petition
posted on Change.org.
“These cuts are unfair to the
average Australian, but will
especially hurt women. Free and
accessible pathology tests are
key to ensuring early detection
of cervical cancer, STI’s, UTI’s and
pregnancy,” it continues.
Referencing Royal College of
Pathologists Australasia’s president
Michael Harrison as saying “pap
smears could cost women $30 and
MRI scans as costing $173”; the
petition has already gathered more
than 135,000 signatures since it
was first posted on Tuesday, and
is only 15,000 signatures shy of its
goal of 150,000.
However Federal Health Minister
Sussan Ley dispels these claims,
labelling them as “misleading”.
“There are no changes proposed
in MYEFO regarding the cost of
either receiving or delivering a
physical pap smear examination
undertaken by your GP or specialist,
nor their billing practices,” she says.
“Nor is there any reduction in the
dollar-value of the Medicare rebate
a patient receives to undertake
associated pathology tests.
“Changes in MYEFO relate to
any inefficient payment - worth
between $1.40 and $3.40 - that
is paid direct to pathology
corporations separate to the
Medicare rebate.
“It is therefore not part of the
patient’s Medicare rebate, as some
have tried to claim today.”
She says claims by pathologists
about the potential cost of raising
their prices is incorrect, because
they have omitted the value of the
Medicare rebate a patient receives
to “cover this very cost”.
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