Radiology

Can diagnostic imaging for a public hospital outpatient be bulk billed if there is a named referral and patient consent, but the registrar completes the imaging request form – and is it true that the request does not have to be signed?

29 June 25

Can a request for diagnostic imaging in a public hospital be Medicare billed if: 1) appropriate GP referral to a named obstetrician has occurred 2) the patient has elected to be a no fee private patient for attendance in the antenatal clinic 3) request for ultrasound imaging is filled out by a registrar “on behalf of” a specialist with ROPP named on the request while attending the antenatal clinic 4) patient consents to be bulk billed for the scan Also, the NSW guideline states a request for imaging does not require a signature to be valid. Is that correct?

As a surgeon working in the private sector, can I bill doppler ultrasounds if they are performed by another doctor who I supervise?

23 June 25

I work in the private sector supporting a service run by GPs managing vein conditions. If they do the doppler ultrasounds (items 55244 and 55246) can I bill them under my provider number? I’ve heard this is permitted as long as I supervise them. The person who does the scan is another medical practitioner not a sonographer or radiographer.

Can rehabilitation physicians bill for an ultrasound when using it to guide botox injections for spasticity?

10 March 25

I am hoping for some clarification around using the item number 55848 for ultrasound. Rehabilitation medicine physicians require ultrasound guidance for botulinum toxin injections. Assuming the ultrasound machine is appropriately accredited, are we allowed to bill this code for the use of the ultrasound machine in addition to the item numbers for the injections (18360)?

Should ultrasound scans reported by locums be billed under the locum’s provider number or the partner’s provider number?

15 December 24

If we have regular locums in an ultrasound practice, reporting scans, should these be billed under the partner’s provider numbers or the locum’s provider numbers?

If a nurse practitioner and radiographer perform a PICC line insertion can a radiologist claim for the associated digital subtraction angiography?

13 November 24

A PICC line insertion is performed by a nurse/nurse practitioner and radiographer, including imaging (Fluoroscopy + Digital Subtraction Angiography of thorax). Post examination, a radiologist reviews the images and confirms the positioning and readiness of the PICC line. Noting that the initial catheterisation procedure (13815) cannot be claimed as a nurse performed the procedure, could the radiologist claim for the relevant DSA imaging charge (e.g. 60012)?

Can a radiologist sitting in an Australian consulate or embassy overseas bill Medicare for radiology interpretations in Australia?

4 November 24

As a radiologist if I’m sitting in an Australian consulate or embassy situated in the United States can I bill Medicare for radiology interpretations?

Can an intensivist use a separate provider number for medical imaging services and their main provider number for usual ICU services to avoid rejected claims that should be paid?

30 September 24

The context for this question involves co-claiming diagnostic ultrasound and vascular access items. After the last MBS review, vascular access items 13815, 13842 and the newly introduced ECMO item number 13837/13838 and 13834/13835 definitions included a new clause to stipulate that no ultrasound item numbers can be claimed in association with these procedures. Traditionally 55054 was co-claimed when ultrasound was used, however the review taskforce stipulated that this was now standard of care and these procedures should attract no further ultrasound benefit. That is all fine, except the way this was implemented at a processing level, is that the above vascular access item numbers restrict with ALL diagnostic ultrasound item numbers. It is sometimes necessary to provide diagnostic imaging services to ICU patients (either referred or self-deemed). This is most often echocardiography, but it can be general abdominal, soft tissue, etc. These diagnostic imaging item numbers are not related to vascular access, but unfortunately even if it is clearly indicated in the service text that they are unrelated, a large majority of the time they get rejected and require manual processing. Someone suggested we could overcome this by obtaining a separate provider number that would be used for medical imaging services only and then the items would not conflict at processing. For example, the same intensivist would claim all intensive care item numbers including vascular access under their “ICU” provider number and then claim any medical imaging services they provide under a different provider number. I am not sure this...