Scans 'too expensive for cancer patients'

MEDICARE rebates for X-rays, MRIs and CT scans have not been adjusted for inflation for 13 years and some patients are paying thousands of dollars out of their own pockets.

The Gillard government is under pressure to remedy the problem in next year's budget.

An Access Economics report to be released this week shows the price Medicare pays for bulk-billed scans is $26 less than it costs to deliver the service. For non-bulk-billed services, the Medicare rebate is $53 less than it costs the practice to provide the service, the report shows.

To stay afloat, diagnostic imaging businesses have to charge non-bulk-billed patients an average $74 out-of-pocket expense to cross-subsidise losses they make on bulk-billed scans.

Some newer scans have out-of-pocket expenses as high as $400 or $800, and prolonged radiotherapy treatments can set back patients by up to $16,000.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon last year raised the Medicare rebates for bulk-billed services by 10 per cent after diagnostic imaging services in rural areas threatened to close down.

An inquiry called by Ms Roxon is due to report by the end of the year and the sector hopes the government will respond by indexing the Medicare rebates to inflation.

Economist Ian Harper, who carried out the Access Economics study, said the government's failure to index the Medicare rebates for inflation left the industry with a funding shortfall of $570 million.

Cancer Voices of Australia chairman Ian Roos said growing out-of-pocket expenses was a huge issue for breast-cancer patients.

Women with breast cancer had to find $8000 to pay for radiotherapy treatment before Medicare refunded them $6000.

Women in northeastern Victoria were having mastectomies because they could not afford radiotherapy treatment, he said.

Source http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/scans-too-expensive-for-cancer-patients/story-e6frg6nf-1225962956962

Fears mysterious illness will claim child

A Sunshine Coast father says he fears his daughter will succumb to the same mysterious illness that killed his son.

Andrew and Trudy Olive, from Mooloolah, lost their four-year old son Tom three months ago from an undiagnosed illness that saw his body turn on itself, destroying muscle tissue and leading to cardiac arrest.

Tom suffered six episodes in the two years leading up to his death, the last of which killed him.

His father Andrew said Tom's back ached in the short episodes and he couldn't walk; bladder problems also developed.

"He'd be perfect one day and then struck down for 12-24 hours," Mr Olive told AAP.

The family took Tom for numerous blood and urine tests.

Some showed raised levels of glycine and plasma, but they were in normal ranges and doctors weren't alarmed.

"To the doctors' surprise the blood test returned to normal within weeks," Mr Olive said.

"There was no indication that he was sick on his test results."

Later, the doctors also indicated the increased levels didn't play a part in Tom's death, Mr Olive said.

On the day Tom died, on August 25, he woke up complaining of a sore knee, the pain then spread to his elbow and his mouth.

He watched cartoons and ate toast, but within a few hours he suffered a heart attack and was gone.

"His body just turned on itself," Mr Olive said.

"It's not been confirmed what exactly caused it, if it was metabolic or genetic.

"There was extreme, catastrophic muscle damage.

"There was no muscle cells that were usable to be tested.

"How does a young boy die of a heart attack when he is healthy?"

Tom's autopsy results are yet to be released.

Queensland Health has sent a gene sample from Tom to France, where scientists will investigate if his LPIN1 gene has been mutated.

The mutation has been linked to only a handful of deaths in children under seven years, and if Tom is confirmed to have the mutation he could be the first victim in Australia.

Mr Olive said the family are now concerned their daughter, Laura, will also succumb to the same illness.

Like Tom, Laura also has high levels of glycine, plasma and an abnormal amount of amino acid in the urine, the last of which could indicate a metabolic disorder, chronic liver disease or a renal disorder.

"We're petrified," he said.

After months of requests to Queensland Health, and a letter to Minster for Health Paul Lucas, the family have finally secured an appointment on Sunday with a metabolic specialist, an offer that was never given to Tom.

"We're absolutely infuriated it's taken Queensland Health this long to respond," Mr Olive said.

"The illness is beyond the pediatric level, but specialists wouldn't engage us because there were no symptoms that were too concerning.

"Mother's intuition is a known medical fact, they didn't listen the first time, and we want them to listen this time."

Queensland Health said it would not comment on the case until the autopsy result is in.

The Olive family will spread Tom's ashes at Golden Beach on the Sunshine Coast on Christmas Day.

Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/fears-mysterious-illness-will-claim-child-20101125-188wn.html

Baby koala in stable condition, vets say

A baby koala shot about 15 times with a pellet gun has made a promising recovery overnight.

The joey, named Frodo, was found next to its dead mother, who was also shot several times, in an attack near Kenilworth in the Sunshine Coast hinterland a week ago.

About 15 pellets were found scattered in Frodo, including one lodged in her skull. Seven of them have since been removed in two operations but more remain in her intestines.

Frodo's condition was listed as critical with vets fearing she could die from lead poisoning from the remaining pellets.

But in a remarkable turnaround, they now say her prospects are looking good.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital veterinarian Dr Amber Gillett says Frodo is moving around and eating.

"Frodo has made good improvement overnight and has started eating leaf on her own which is a positive sign for her future," Dr Gillett said on Thursday.

"Frodo is now much brighter and alert and is moving around well in the intensive care unit."

She said while her condition is stable, she still has a long road to full recovery.

"The wounds to the top of Frodo's head where one pellet was removed has been closed, and I am happy with how the wounds are healing," Dr Gillett said.

He said they will not do any more surgery to remove the remaining pellets for now.

Queensland police say they have some leads but are appealing for anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers.

Detective Sergeant Mike Ferling told reporters on Thursday that the case was far from going cold, but police are seeking public assistance.

"Someone out there in the community knows something about this offence," Det Sgt Ferling said.

"Someone was there or their associate or friend. We are really appealing for them to ring CrimeStoppers. It's all confidential."

He said the attack happened on a public road.

"The gravel road where the offence occurred is a public gravel road that links state forestry with freehold country," he said.

"It's used a lot by graziers and other persons."

The penalty for deliberately shooting a koala is a $225,000 fine or two years in prison.

The case is similar to another attack on a baby koala and his mother at Morayfield, north of Brisbane, in January.

That mother survived but the baby, named Doug, died despite efforts by vets to save him.

Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/baby-koala-in-stable-condition-vets-say-20101111-17pal.html