Don't Kill Bulk Bill

  • 21 April 2016

From 1st July the federal government will take away the fee it pays to the pathology provider that means the pathology test(s) provided to us can be bulk billed.  Pathology tests include blood tests, urine tests, swabs (such as pap smears) and tests on other samples of tissue or body fluids.  At present the federal government pays the provider but once they stop paying, the pathology providers will be forced to ask patients to pay for these tests themselves.  Patients who were previously bulk billed may need to now pay.  For more than a decade the fees paid to pathology providers by the government have been frozen.  The demand for pathology services however has increased and the cost of providing pathology services is also rising.  You can take action to help stop these cuts.  Pathology is vital for: preventing health problems, the early detection of diseases, managing serious health conditions, and keeping us out of hospital.  Keep pathology accessible to all Australians.