Injured NSW workers needing access to vital x-rays and scans as part of their treatment may soon be short-changed due to cuts planned by the state's insurer and care provider icare, the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association (ADIA) has warned.
ADIA said it was concerned that icare is about to unilaterally cut fees and change rules for radiology services provided to workers' compensation patients – a move that could have “severe implications” for patients, said Ron Shnier, ADIA vice-president and radiologist at I-Med Radiology.
“We don’t know what icare is planning specifically, because it is refusing to talk with radiology providers and their representatives,” Shnier said. “In fact, there has been no consultation on their plans. However, if what we fear is true, icare will unilaterally cut fees for radiology services to workers' compensation patients. When that happens, practices will either have to start charging gaps for injured workers or even stop providing the services altogether. That could have significant and unintended consequences for people trying to recover from a workplace injury. It’s short-sighted, it’s ill-informed, and it will damage lives.”
The association was also concerned about what it called icare's “open contempt for the facts,” citing a Sept. 2017 media release which it said was “designed to mislead the public.”
“It claimed that NSW paid among the highest prices for radiology services in Australia, but the analysis excluded Queensland, Tasmania, the ACT, and NT, and MRI services which are the most used radiology services for workers' compensation patients.”
Shnier said they had already written to Treasurer Dominic Perrottet twice over their concerns about icare’s lack of consultation, but so far they haven’t received a response.
“It’s an extremely concerning situation for patients who need access to vital x-rays and scans to help diagnose, treat and get them on the road to recovery,” Shnier said. “icare needs to come clean with what it’s planning – and listen to people who just have the care of injured workers at heart.”
