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A procedure to drain an area of pus (abscess) deep in the body, using a needle through the skin (percutaneous).

Treatment venue

Out-of-hospital

Medical specialty

General surgery

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.

In 2022-23

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:

High$167
Typical$47
Low$0

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.

MBS Item 30224

A procedure to drain an area of pus (abscess) deep in the body, using a needle through the skin (percutaneous).