WOMEN in the Wimmera should still have access to free pap smears after July at Wimmera Health Care Group despite pending changes to Medicare.
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The federal government will cut bulk billing incentives for pathology services from July 1.
Major service providers and pathology industry groups warn will leave them with costs that might force an increase in costs for pap smears, and blood and urine tests.
The Mail-Times understands that the health care group’s clinic will still offer free pap smear checks for cervical cancer through a government-funded sexual health program.
What is less clear is the affect on prices for other pathology and radiology services in Horsham.
At the time of publication, Wimmera Radiology did not have a staff member available to comment on whether prices would rise after July 1.
Pathology services at Wimmera Base Hospital are contracted out to St John of God Pathology.
St John of God sold its pathology division to Australian Clinical Labs last year and is in the process of changing its name.
Australian Clinical Labs did not respond to a request to comment on what affect the bulk billing changes might have on pathology patient costs in the Wimmera.
The bulk billing changes were originally planned for July last year but were delayed 12 months to allow consultation with the health industry.
Member for Mallee Andrew Broad has previously defended the government’s approach to Medicare and pointed to increasing rates of bulk billing under the Coalition.
An online petition circulated late last year has collected more than 222,000 signatures opposed to the bulk billing changes.
The petition was based on the claim by Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia president Michael Harrison that the cuts would force patients to pay at least $30 for a pap smear, urine or blood test.
The pap smear changes have already provoked a backlash in the Wimmera.
The federal government recommends that sexually active women aged from 18 and 69 years should have regular checks for cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer killed an estimated Australian 250 women in 2016.
The government will change from running a pap smear program to the National Cervical Screening Program from May 1.
The initial procedure will still be similar to a pap smear but will test for the presence of cancer-causing HPV instead of abnormal cells.