Injection of a medicine into the spine (intrathecal, epidural) to stop the nerve from feeling pain.
Treatment venue
Medical specialty
Your care options
Bulk billing patient:
If you are bulk billed for a medical service you will have no out-of-pocket costs. The GP or specialist bills Medicare and accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment for the service.
Non-bulk billing patient:
GPs and specialists can set a fee for the service that is higher than the Medicare benefit. In this case you may have out-of-pocket costs. This is the difference between the service fee and the Medicare benefit.
For patients who had an MBS item 18232 in a private setting across all of Australia, 28% had an out-of-pocket cost. Of those:
Patients typically paid: $0, Medicare paid: $171, Insurer paid: $0. Typical fees: $171.Percent of patients who paid in 2022-23
72% of patients had no out-of-pocket costs
28% of patients had out-of-pocket costs
Low, typical, and high out-of-pocket costs
Of the 28% of people who had an out-of-pocket cost in 2022-23, the typical cost was calculated as follows:
The table below shows the following by state and territory:
- Percent of patients who paid no out-of-pocket cost. The GP or specialist’s fees were paid by Medicare.
- How much GPs or specialists typically charged for this service, when there was an out-of-pocket cost for the patient.
- How much patients typically paid if they had an out-of-pocket cost.
Some regions may not show data due to insufficient services or providers available to ensure a specific person is not identified.
This information is for all services using this MBS item in the selected specialty in 2022-23.
| NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % with no out-of-pocket costs | 78% | 44% | 81% | 82% | 80% | 24% | 51% |
| Typical GP or specialists’ fees | $171 | $201 | $171 | $268 | $171 | $171 | $279 |
| Patients typically paid | $0 | $30 | $0 | $97 | $0 | $0 | $108 |
What the fees and costs shown include
The fees and costs show typical fees for an individual service. They are based on data from 2022-23.
Each service is linked to a number listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), called an MBS item. Patients may have other MBS items as well, as multiple services may occur in a setting. The Medicare benefit amount(opens in new tab) has been rounded to the nearest dollar.
Talk to your GP or specialist to find out:
- If you may need a referral to a medical specialist.
- What specific tests or treatments you will need. This might include diagnostic imaging or pathology services.
- What other specialists may be involved in your service, and their fees.
We show local data by Primary Health Network(opens in new tab) if a person or provider can’t be identified. Otherwise, we will show information at higher level, by aggregating the data. The data might then be at a state and territory level, or across Australia. See our disclaimer for more information.
What the fees and costs shown don’t include
- Aftercare costs.
- Costs associated with pharmaceuticals and other incidentals.
MBS item number(s) that may be the main treatment for an MBS item 18232.
Injection of a medicine into the spine (intrathecal, epidural) to stop the nerve from feeling pain.