The short answer: a bulk-billing radiology clinic accepts the Medicare rebate as full payment, so you pay nothing out of pocket for eligible scans. Whether a scan is bulk billed depends on the clinic, the scan type, and your referral — so always confirm when booking.
How bulk billing works in radiology
When a clinic bulk bills, it bills Medicare directly for a Medicare-eligible service and accepts the schedule fee as full payment. If a clinic charges privately instead, you pay the clinic’s fee and claim the rebate back, leaving a gap payment.
Why some scans are bulk billed and others are not
- Scan type matters. X-ray and ultrasound are commonly bulk billed. CT is often bulk billed at larger networks. MRI depends on the clinic holding a Medicare-licensed machine and the referral meeting item requirements — our MRI and Medicare guide explains this in detail.
- Referral details matter. Some items are only rebateable when requested by a specialist, or for specific clinical indications.
- Clinic policy matters. Some clinics bulk bill concession-card holders and children only; others bulk bill everything; some bill privately for all appointments.
Questions to ask when you book
- “Is this scan bulk billed with my referral, or is there a gap?”
- “If there is a gap, what is the total out-of-pocket cost?”
- “Is your MRI machine Medicare-licensed for this item?” (for MRI referrals)
- “Do you bulk bill concession or pension card holders?”
Public hospital option
Public hospital radiology departments provide imaging at no charge for public outpatients and inpatients, but waiting lists are generally longer than private clinics for non-urgent scans.
Compare clinics near you
Imaging Finder lists radiology clinics across Australia with services and contact details, so you can ring ahead and compare billing policies: browse Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, or see which scans Medicare covers by modality.
General information only — billing policies change and vary by clinic. Confirm costs directly with the clinic before your appointment.
Author: Dr. Mark Bekhit
Dr Mark Bekhit (MBChB, FRANZCR) is a musculoskeletal radiologist practising in Brisbane and an AHPRA-registered specialist in diagnostic radiology (MED0002920947). He spends as much time building software as reading scans: he founded Imaging Finder (Australia) and Radiology Clinics NZ to make imaging easier to find, and builds radiology dictation and pain-tracking tools with one aim — better patient outcomes and a smoother reporting workflow. Outside the reading room he's usually training, bringing the same performance mindset to imaging.
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