http://www.darkdaily.com/pathology-testing-prices-as-a-commodity-australia%e2%80%99s-health-system-stands-at-a-crossroads-1118#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed DARK Daily is a concise e-news/management briefing on timely topics in clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology group management. It is a solution to the dilemma facing anyone in the laboratory profession. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:41:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.darkdaily.com/pathology-testing-prices-as-a-commodity-australia%e2%80%99s-health-system-stands-at-a-crossroads-1118/comment-page-1#comment-4821 L. Peterson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:25:01 +0000 http://www.darkdaily.com/?p=4015#comment-4821 I just returned from AU. While there, for the 5th consecutive year, the "technology assessment" function of the government health program stated in its proposed fees for 2010, not to pay for thin prep paps. It stated that the gain in efficacy was not substantial enough to warrant payment for the procedure. The ruling does not prohibit use of the thin prep procedure nor the patient being charged for the differential in price between the "traditional pap" and thin prep. The government program does pay $20AU for a traditional pap. Incidentally, the AU program does cover HPV vaccination for girls and boys. I just returned from AU. While there, for the 5th consecutive year, the “technology assessment” function of the government health program stated in its proposed fees for 2010, not to pay for thin prep paps. It stated that the gain in efficacy was not substantial enough to warrant payment for the procedure. The ruling does not prohibit use of the thin prep procedure nor the patient being charged for the differential in price between the “traditional pap” and thin prep. The government program does pay $20AU for a traditional pap. Incidentally, the AU program does cover HPV vaccination for girls and boys.

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