How much does an MRI cost?
An MRI could range from $0 up to $1,000, depending on your patient status and particular medical condition.
Key takeaways
- MRI costs vary depending on whether the treatment is covered by Medicare, which is complex.
- If it's not covered under Medicare, expect to pay between $300 and $1,000 per body part.
- Private health insurance can help if you're an inpatient in a hospital, but not if your MRI is outside hospital (as most are).
How much does an MRI cost?
The cost of an MRI can be anywhere between $300 and over $1,000 per body part, or could be free if you can have it bulk-billed under Medicare.
Now look, I know that's a vague answer. Unfortunately, the cost of a scan varies a tonne, based on things like which clinic you visit and what needs to be scanned.
- Cost by clinic: While it's possible to get MRIs covered under Medicare, there are fewer and fewer clinics that bulk-bill, and so will either charge you a full or a partial out-of-pocket cost. If you need an MRI in a public hospital it will be free, but depending on your underlying or suspected condition, you may have to go on a waiting list.
- Cost by body part: Put simply, the more stuff you need scanned, the more expensive the MRI will be. It's not a perfect relationship, but it's a reliable relationship.
Your best bet is to talk to your GP, or call your local imaging clinic to get an estimation of the non-rebatable cost before you get the scan.
Does Medicare cover MRI scans in Australia?
Medicare sometimes covers MRI scans - it's not always straightforward. If you're receiving care in a public hospital as an 'inpatient' it should be relatively straight forward, and you shouldn't be charged. But outside of a hospital, where most MRIs happen, Medicare might cover the cost, depending on the body part and reason for the scan.
You'll generally need a GP referral - you might also need a specialist referral - and to visit an imaging provider that bulk bills. Unfortunately, you'll often need to pay for that GP or specialist out of pocket as well. So yeah, it's not as simple as it should be. Your best bet is to see your GP - who hopefully bulk bills - and ask them about the likely costs.
Does private health insurance cover MRI?
Private health insurance generally covers MRI scans in Australia, but only under certain conditions. You'll need to be admitted to a hospital as an inpatient, and the scan will need to be for a condition that you're covered for. Here's the breakdown:
- Outpatient MRIs: These are typically not covered by private health insurance. Medicare may still pay a benefit if the scan is on an eligible MBS item and you have the right referral.
- Inpatient MRIs: If you're admitted to a hospital and need an MRI as part of your treatment, your private health insurance can cover the gap between what Medicare pays and the total cost of the scan.
- Coverage conditions: The MRI must be part of a treatment covered by your policy and listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
Generally, private health insurance won't be able to help you for outpatient MRIs. If you can't afford an MRI you've been referred to by your GP, have a look around for an MRI provider that bulk bills under Medicare.
How to save money on your MRI scans
With the out-of-pocket costs for MRIs rising - as waiting lists grow and clinics stop bulk billing - it's more important than ever to know how to save money on MRIs. Here are a couple of ways you can start to save.
- Talk to your doctor: If your GP has your best interests at heart, they should be able to point you in the direction of cheaper treatment. It's definitely possible they might give you a bum steer, but you might as well ask your GP how to save money on a scan when they refer you.
- Shop around: Different radiology clinics have different bulk billing practices, even ones that are in the same suburb. That means a clinic down the road could charge you a lower gap fee - or maybe none at all. Your referral should work anywhere - it pays to make some calls.
- Call your health fund: If you need a scan, call your health fund and see if they have any advice. What and how much you're covered for will vary based on your policy and medical condition, but they'll be able to give you the most relevant advice.
MRI cost: Medicare vs private health insurance
For private health insurance, MRI scans are considered a treatment, not a formal clinical category. That means your MRI may or may not be covered by your policy - it depends on why you're getting the scan. If you need an MRI scan for a particular treatment, then your private health insurance will cover some of the costs if your policy covers that particular type of illness – for example, cancer.
Health insurance can cover MRI scans, depending on your cover. Whether you are going the Medicare or health insurance route, always be sure to check that your treatment is covered or whether you will need to pay any upfront costs. Here are some of the ways these costs will be calculated:
- Public patient in a public hospital (no health insurance): Medicare can cover 100% of the MBS fee.
- Private patient in a public hospital: Medicare covers 75% of the MBS schedule fee, with the remaining 25% of that fee covered by your health insurer.
- Private patient in a private hospital: Medicare once again covers 75% of the MBS schedule fee, with the remaining 25% of that fee paid by your health insurer.
- Out of hospital MRI scan with specialist referral: Medicare covers 85% of the MBS schedule fee.
- Clinics can charge more than the MBS schedule fee, and anything above it is an out-of-pocket cost for you unless your doctor takes part in your insurer's gap cover scheme.
To have your MRI scan covered by health insurance, you'll need hospital cover. Each hospital insurance tier will cover a different set of conditions, so you'll need to have a product that covers your particular issue to be covered.
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Hi Gary,
My wife and I are both in mid-late 60’s and in good health.
I’ve been looking for travel insurance for us to travel from AU to UK to visit my elderly mother for about 16 days return trip (we want basic requirements which would cover emergency hospital cover, flight cancellations, etc.).
We wouldn’t be doing sports or any other higher risk activities, and not too concerned with theft or covering personal belongings, as we are sensible travelers.
I’ve looked at hundreds of reviews, but so many “5 star reviews” are from people that have never had to claim (which unfortunately makes the star ratings and pos/neg percentages worthless, instead creating a fault sense of the quality of services). Can you possibly provide any suggestions of how to find a reliable travel insurance company that doesn’t seem to spend so much of their resources trying to avoid covering their customers? It seems this is a far too frequently reported problem.
Thank you.
Heya Brad – you’ve hit on a constant frustration I face, which is that reviews are hard to trust when they’re biased one way or the other.
The first thing to mention is that you will have some basic health coverage in the UK as part of Australia’s reciprocal health care agreement, assuming you have access to Medicare in Australia. That doesn’t mean you wown’t get some extra value from travel insurance with medical cover, but it does provide a baseline of coverage.
As for insurance companies, unfortunately they all have a vested interest in not paying out claims, if they can get away with it. There aren’t really any insurance companies that are especially better or worse than any other on this point. The data range, but around 80%-90% of claims are paid out without issue.
Unfortunately, there’s no sure-fire way to guarantee that you will definitely get a claim paid out. The best thing you can do, as dull as it is, is to read the Product Disclosure Statement for your policy. If you keep your end of the bargain – be a safe traveller, leave heaps of time between transfers, that sort of thing, you’ll minimise your chances of falling foul of your insurance company’s exclusions. Make sure you have a good read through the specific and general exclusion section of the PDS especially.
Sorry I couldn’t give you a more helpful answer, but I hope this helps you out some. Best of luck, and I the trip goes well.
How much would it cost to get an MRI scan done on my wrist considering I am with Medicare?
Hi Katelyn,
This depends on where you are located and how much the medical clinic charges for the procedure. You can request a quote ahead of treatment so you are not hit with any surprise bills.
Hope this helps!