When Aimee Glen found a lump in her breast, it kicked off a whirlwind of what turned out to be very expensive medical tests.
The 31-year-old mother-of-two, from Geelong in Victoria, is now campaigning for free diagnostic tests for breast cancer to help prevent others from having to face the same bill shock.
After noticing the lump in her right breast, Glen went straight to her GP, who gave her a referral for an ultrasound at the Geelong Breast Clinic.
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The ultrasound quickly escalated into a mammogram and a biopsy when concerns were spotted.
Glen told 9news.com.au she was originally informed the ultrasound would cost around $600, with a Medicare rebate of around $300.
However, as the number of tests she needed grew, Glen wasn’t informed of how much they would cost.
“When I got to the reception desk, I was given the price that I had to pay on the day, which was $1442,” she said.
Unprepared for the cost, Glen said she did not have enough money in her everyday account to pay the bill.
“I had to get my husband, who was at home, to transfer the money so I could pay,” she said.
Glen received a Medicare rebate of $125 on the day, and then a further $535 five days later, ultimately leaving her $787 out of pocket.
In Australia, women aged over 40 are entitled to free breast screening mammograms.
However, if further diagnostic tests are needed, they often come with high out-of-pocket costs.
Getting testing done in the public system is an option, but there are often long waiting times.
Glen said she was advised the waiting time for the public clinic in her area was around three months.
A day after her tests were completed, Glen was called back in to see her GP.
She was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.
She underwent 15 rounds of chemotherapy, before having surgery in April.
A further 15 rounds of radiation therapy followed.
Glen completed her cancer treatment six weeks ago and is doing well.
However, the mother-of-two said her thoughts often still went to how expensive those initial tests were.
After seeing comments on social media from other young mums who weren’t able to afford the cost of treatment, Glen started a Change.org petition, which has attracted almost 20,000 signatures.
“It’s really concerning when people are literally out there going, ‘I don’t know what to do because I can’t afford it’,” Glen said.
“Ultimately, these tests should be free, that’s my dream.
“But, at the very least, they need to be more affordable. There needs to be a bigger rebate and I think that we need payment options.”
Geelong Breast Clinic general manager Tania Armstrong said diagnostic breast tests involved the work of skilled specialists and expensive imaging equipment.
Armstrong said Medicare rebates for diagnostic imaging had increased only minimally over the past 20 years and no longer reflected the true cost of the service.
Geelong Breast Clinic offered flexible payment plans and compassionate billing options for those in need, she added.
“Early detection saves lives, and timely access to accurate diagnosis is critical. For this reason, many women across Victoria turn to our clinic to avoid long waitlists in the public system,” Armstrong said.
“We fully support increased government funding for diagnostic imaging to help reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients.
“Greater funding will ensure more equitable access to vital breast health services, regardless of where a woman lives or her financial situation.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said while the government was responsible for setting Medicare rebates, medical practitioners were free to set their own fees, which may exceed the Medicare rebate, resulting in out-of-pocket costs to the patient.
“The government provides a bulk billing incentive for all diagnostic imaging services to encourage bulk billing,” the spokesperson said.
The federal government is currently conducting a review of some Medicare-funded diagnostic imaging services, including breast imaging items.
