Non-Rebatable tests in Australia

Current quotes that I received.

Dorevitch

Faecal Calprotectin $40

6TGN & 6MMP $145 (actual price $100)

Melbourne Pathology

Faecal Calprotectin $86.25

6TGN & 6MMP $166.75

Thanks for listing those Catherine.

Matt hasn't had either done but will have metabolites when he next sees the GI. He also mentioned starting to get baselines on some other things.

I dare say we will get the bloods etc done on Port Macquarie but not sure which lab and where the metabolites are sent from there. It will be interesting to compare costs.

As to labs up here, well Matt goes to whoever is the quickest and most painless! :lol:

its a bit crappy, I pay 140$ everytime I have a calprotectin done

Are you city or rural Josh?

Can you request bulk billing?

They are non medicare items Samboi.

Oh - ouch then.
I suppose we're lucky in the grand scheme of things.
I save a few thousand dollars every month through the PBS.
But gee - you'd think we could get a rebate for them.
Guess I'll be getting mine done at Dorevitch if required then!
Although I do prefer Melb Path.

Yeah, certainly some areas of the system suck but as you say, in the grand scheme of things we are very fortunate.

I'm in the city

I would shop around the different labs then Josh.

Is it possible you might be able to get these covered by state health if you use a public hospital lab? Not entirely sure how all that works, but I believe in some cases IMVS in SA (the SA Health lab attached to public hospitals) covers non-Medicare tests

4 Beta

um, not sure what the go is, but ive had every test under the sun, and the only time ive ever been charged was for a chromogamin A test, which was fifty bucks.

Ive had faecal calprowhatever mentioned up there, and didnt pay for it. I get all mine done at Pathwest, which is attached to the hospital.

If you get tests through a public hospital they maybe free. But some of us are unable to get them done using the hospital system so have to pay.

Are you not able to be treated as a public patient in a public hospital? Even if you have private health, which I dont, you can always elect to be treated as a public patient. they do try to encourage you to use your private health but you can choose not to. its an idea at least.

My daughter has never been admitted to hospital, we use a private gi so the test are performed by a private lab.

Received the bill from Dorevitch for 6TGN & 6MMP and the actual cost was $100.

With Matt's upcoming GI visit I know he wants to test for Thiopurine metabolites and I am going to ask about Faecal Calprotectin.

With that in mind I thought I would do a bit of homework and contact 2 of the labs (Laverty and Douglas Hanly Moir) we have locally and suss out if they collect for those tests ( we are rural). If they didn't we would have to get them done in Port Macquarie whilst we are there.

As it is they both collect. They both charge $80 for the FC BUT both said that metabolites is free as it is covered by Medicare.

Dusty.

Hope your advice is correct:

http://pathology.easternhealth.org.au/handbook/search.php?testid=2031

Yeah. I specifically asked each lab if there was a cost and when they said no I said...is it definitely for metabolites 6TGN & 6MMP and they both said yes. So who knows! :lol:

Dusty.

Rang Dorevitch again today check price for: 6MMP/6TGN and was told the test is non-rebatable and the price is $144.

As Sarah is having this test done again next week.

Hmmm Catherine, don’t know what the story is as I wouldn’t have thought it should differ between states with Medicare but…

Matt had his bloods done today including Thiopurine Metabolites 6MMP/6TGN at Laverty Pathology, so a private lab, and the test was free.

Dusty.

I was charged $100 for Sarah last test done 10 October .

I have submitted the account to Medicare before paying. I rang three Melbourne labs who all said to was a private test and there was no way of getting it covered by Medicare.

Medicare has again decline to cover thiopurine metabolite cost $100.

But the surprise is they have also decline hb,FBE, as we have reaches the the maximum number of services cost $16.95.

They have paid $20.15 of a $140.60 bill.

Thank you for this information Catherine!

I do agree that we are very lucky, but you would think with the variety of things that are covered; these tests would be too. It's a little odd.

It is odd that thiopurine metabolites are covered here and not in Vic. There must be variations from state to state. :confused2:

We have never run into a maximum number of services either. At one point Matt was having blood done weekly for nigh on 6 months.

Dusty. :Flower:

Hey everyone, we had fecal cal done three weeks ago at Mater Path in Qld and it cost $40. Our son also had 6-TGN and 6MMP and we have not received a bill yet, here's hoping!!!
BUT...we had to have an MRE done to check the small bowel after scopes and the cheapest we could find was $400 without contrast, $500 with. On top of being not covered by medicare I rung them to see if it at least went towards my safety net - no. On top of that, we got a second opinion last week and when the Dr saw the MRE he said it would need to be repeated at a different lab because they didn't do a good enough job!!!!!! He said the images were too blurry and they didn't use enough prep :ybatty: he also said the previous Dr did not order enough tests and they need to see his pelvis! So now we are suppose to pay another $500, that we can't claim through medicare or private health through no fault of our own! So thankful for our medical system and such but I am still amazed at how much stuff our kids need that remains not covered and wonder what you do if you do not have the money to cover these tests, because I imagine if they do not have a medicare item number they would not be given to a public patient in a public hospital either?

You may want to see the new GI can get done at children's hospital. Our GI boss booked Sarah's first MRI personally and only didn't use the children because she was already 16. Your GI should be able to give a list of places to use.

We use MRI Melbourne, it was $360 in October 2012.

Just for your information my mother had an MRI done in country victoria which also had to be repeat by a Melbourne centre due to quality.

Dusty, Would it be cheating the system if I got the next one done in NSW.

You can still claim a percentage of your out of pocket medical expenses on your tax return at the end of the financial year.
It's not much - but it does help defray the costs.
I'm getting elective surgery done in March as the stoma reversal put me over the threshold and I will get more back.
It all adds up.
Without Crohns - I'd be rich!!

Hi Everyone

Medical care reasoning for declining Sarah's HB, FBE is that she had more than 5 tests performed on that day and they only paid the 5 highest cost. They paid for PROT, ALT, ALB, ALP, AST, GGT (but this me only look like one test).

Thiopurine Metabolite the item number used doesnot exist.

Dusty I going to PM you to see if you can get me the item number.

Thanks Catherine, glad to know I am not the only one who has had to repeat an MRE! Yeah we will pay the extra dollars if need be and go to a place that does them all the time, the lessons we learn! Samboi, I will have to make sure we keep all our receipts and stuff, I definitely think we will have some significant deductions this year!!

Catherine said:

Dusty, Would it be cheating the system if I got the next one done in NSW.

Click to expand...

Nope, there isn’t even a fence between us. :ybiggrin:

I will see what I can find out about the item number Catherine.

Dusty. xxx

@ Catherine:

Okay, so after asking twice if they could give the item number, and receiving no response back, I was on the phone to the lab today on an unrelated matter. Before ringing off I asked if they could please look up the item number. So the lass went through Thiopurine Metabolites and the various links that came up 6MMP, 6TGN, Imuran, Mercaptopurine. Nothing had an item number or code attached to it.

I assume this may be one reason they didn’t get back to me?

The bloods are sent to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney. The pathology department goes under the acronym SEALS (South Eastern Area Laboratory Services) and it states: As part of NSW Health Pathology, is a fully accredited, publicly owned ‘not-for-profit’ pathology service. I guess that maybe they bulk bill hence why the test is free??

Dorevitch are still changing $40 for the calprotectin testing.

They have just charges us $250 for 6TGN/6MMP, after quoting my daughter $140. This is more then that she earns.

I now been told by Melbourne Pathology, that they sent the test to Royal Brisbane Hospital, have spoken to Brisbane who have advised they will try and bulk bill, it they can't as we live out of state they will try to charge us $34.80

Make sure you get quote before having this test performed.