Epworth secures Medicare licence for MRI

THE vital signs are good at Epworth Geelong, with the Waurn Ponds private hospital succeeding in its efforts to secure a Medicare licence for its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

The federal government has committed to funding 30 new MRI licences, and Epworth began its campaign to get one of them in September.

The licence will come into effect on March 1, and Epworth chief executive Damien Armour said last week’s announcement by Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson was a very significant day for the hospital.

“It’s more so for the patients and the specialists, because we take away the financial conversation that happens in the rooms. Now they can just focus on providing great patient care, and the anxiety about other things is taken out of the equation.

“One thing that has prevented people from coming here is the cost factor – they’ve had to inconveniently go somewhere else – but they won’t have to worry about that now.”

He said the number of MRIs was estimated to grow by 50 per cent in the first year, from 2,500 scans to close to 4,000 scans.

“This is a growing region. We will service a catchment of 330,000 patients with Colac as well, growing at pretty much the fastest anywhere in Australia, and to have another accessible Medicare rebate-eligible MRI is going to take a lot of waiting time and anxiety away from a lot of people in this region.”

Ms Henderson said the first 10 MRI licences under the federal government’s commitment were announced late last year.

“I went and had a very severe chat to the Health Minister, Greg Hunt, and needless to say, I made it very clear that Epworth had a very strong case and Epworth could not be forgotten in the next 20 to be announced.

“This is a community campaign, and together we’ve achieved a great deal.”