A procedure to drain an area of pus (abscess) deep in the body, using a needle through the skin (percutaneous).
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 30224 in a private setting across all of Australia, 27% had an out-of-pocket cost. Of those:
Patients typically paid: $47, Medicare paid: $214, Insurer paid: $0. Typical fees: $251.Percent of patients who paid in 2022-23
73% of patients had no out-of-pocket costs
27% of patients had out-of-pocket costs
Low, typical, and high out-of-pocket costs
Of the 27% of people who had an out-of-pocket cost in 2022-23, the typical cost was calculated as follows:
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 30224.
A procedure to drain an area of pus (abscess) deep in the body, using a needle through the skin (percutaneous).