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X-ray, ultrasound and CT scan costs in Australia
There is no single price for an x-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI. The exact scan on your request changes the fee, so the clinic needs to see the form before it can give you a useful quote.
Have the request in front of you when you call. Ask whether the clinic can do that scan, whether it will be bulk billed and, if not, the total amount you will pay after any Medicare rebate.
For MRI, our MRI cost guide has Australian Government examples of typical fees and patient gaps.
How imaging pricing works
With a valid request from your doctor, Medicare pays a fixed rebate for most imaging done outside hospital. If the clinic bulk bills, it accepts that rebate as full payment and you pay $0. If it charges more, you pay the gap between its fee and the rebate. Without a request, there is no rebate at all.
Billing policy is set clinic by clinic — and often scan by scan — which is why the same x-ray can be free at one practice and carry a fee at the next.
X-ray costs
Plain x-rays are the least expensive common scan and the one most often bulk billed. Many practices bulk bill all plain x-rays; others reserve it for children, pensioners or concession card holders. It is always worth asking when you book rather than assuming either way.
Ultrasound costs
Ultrasound pricing varies more, partly because scans take dedicated sonographer time. Pregnancy scans and specialised studies are the ones most likely to carry a gap. Ask for the total fee and the rebate as two separate numbers — the difference is what you pay.
CT scan costs
Most CT scans done with a request attract a Medicare rebate, and plenty of practices bulk bill them. Where there is a gap it varies widely between clinics, so if the first quote surprises you, phone one more practice before booking.
PET and nuclear medicine costs
These services are concentrated in larger centres and are usually requested by specialists. Many PET items carry a rebate when the request meets the item's criteria — the centre will confirm from your form. Because the fees are larger, ask for the quote in writing.
Getting a quote you can rely on
Have the request in front of you and ask: can you do the scan on this form, will it be bulk billed and, if not, what is the total and what will I get back from Medicare? A clinic that cannot answer from the form over the phone will usually ask you to send a photo of it — that is normal.