For your patient to qualify for bulk-billing in regard to knee or shoulder ultrasounds, one of the following clinical indicators must be stated on the referral:

Shoulder:

• Evaluation of injury to tendon, muscle or muscle/tendon junction

• Rotator cuff tear / calcification / tendinosis (biceps, subscapular, supraspinatus, infraspinatus)

• Biceps subluxation

• Capsulitis and bursitis

• Evaluation of a mass, including ganglion

• Occult fracture

• Acromioclavicular joint pathology

Knee:

• Abnormality of tendons or bursae about the knee

• Meniscal cyst, popliteal fossa cyst, mass or pseudomass

• Nerve entrapment, nerve or nerve sheath tumour

• Injury of collateral ligaments

Patients cannot be bulk-billed if the clinical indicators state non-specific pain or any other conditions that aren’t listed above (this includes meniscal and cruciate ligament tears as well as assessment of chondral surfaces).

Apologies for the inconvenience, however these are strict Medicare rules that we must abide by.

For further information, please see Para DIQ of explanatory notes to this Category (MSK Ultrasound) in the Medicare Benefits Schedule Book.