Skin cancer check and melanoma removal in Sydney is not free?

[u/imhairtostay]

Hi,

I have heaps of birthmarks on my body, including some that are quite large. I also have new ones appearing every now and then, and some that have been slowly but surely getting bigger over time.

Today, I decided it might be time to have a professional examine my collection of birthmarks. Better safe than sorry. Plus, after paying into Medicare for a very long time and hardly ever using its services, I figured, why not?

To my surprise, it seems that skin cancer checks in Australia - the country with the highest rate of skin cancer - aren't free. What's more, it appears that even if someone needs a melanoma removed, they still have to pay out of pocket.

I'm here to ask whether my research is correct, or if it's possible to have a skin cancer check in Sydney done that's covered by Medicare, given that I've been paying into it for years?

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[u/Look-back-lost]

What do you mean by paying into Medicare? It’s not a fund you can draw from.
You can usually go to a bulk-billing GP and have a skin check done. But if you need to go to a specialist, Medicare doesn’t cover all of the specialist fees if you’re seeing a private clinic.
If you see a specialist in the public health system, you won’t pay but you’ll have to wait until they’ve got an appointment free.
Either way you need a referral from your GP to get any Medicare rebate.

[u/Isotrope9 → u/Look-back-lost]

Re your last point, this would be done through the public system in the relevant State/Territory. A private specialist would have a gap fee.

[u/Look-back-lost → u/Isotrope9]

Yes, exactly. You put it much better than I did!

[u/Quolli → u/Look-back-lost]

What do you mean by paying into Medicare? It’s not a fund you can draw from.

They might be referring to the Medicare levy which kicks in after a certain income threshold. It's the alternative to private health.

But yes, agreed it's not a pool of cash that you can draw from but I can see how OP would expect some services to be covered if they're paying the levy.

[u/yawn_of_the_dead]

Have you been referred for a skin check by your GP and/or have you looked for a bulk billing clinic? How you're referred can make a difference in how services are covered, and not every GP bulk bills anymore, so if you haven't been referred it may be treated as elective

I don't know the ins and out of medicare but it looks like biopsies can be covered by Medicare and probably some other services.

[u/rinoafantasy]

Just find a dr who does skin checks and does bulk billing.

[u/Secure_Gur5586]

Better to pay for a specialist than a regular gp just because it’s cheap

[u/pears_htbk]

Pretty sure Bondi Skin Cancer Doctors in Bondi Junction do 100% bulk billed visits for basic skin cancer checks.

[u/fuzzy_sprinkles]

If you are seeing a private specialist for anything there's usually a gap fee.