Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:C2025C00156:section:16b:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:C2025C00156
Segment Type: section
Provision Reference: s 16B (pt 1/5)
Character Range: 130175–132960

16B  Medicare benefits in relation to R‑type diagnostic imaging services

General rule—request required for services
 (1) Subject to subsections (6), (7), (8), (9), (10) and (11), a medicare benefit is not payable in respect of an R‑type diagnostic imaging service rendered in relation to a person by or on behalf of a medical practitioner (in this section called the providing practitioner) unless:
 (a) where the service is one for which there is a corresponding NR‑type diagnostic imaging service:
 (i) the providing practitioner is a consultant physician, or a specialist, in a particular specialty; and
 (ii) the service was rendered by or on behalf of the providing practitioner in the course of the providing practitioner practising that specialty; and
 (b) the service was rendered pursuant to a written request made by:
 (i) another medical practitioner; or
 (ii) subject to subsection (2), a dental practitioner; or
 (iii) subject to subsection (3), a chiropractor; or
 (iv) subject to subsection (3A), a physiotherapist; or
 (v) subject to subsection (3B), a podiatrist; or
 (vi) subject to subsection (3C), an osteopath; or
 (vii) subject to subsection (3D), a participating midwife; or
 (viii) subject to subsection (3E), a participating nurse practitioner;
  who determined that the service was necessary and whose patient the person was.

Dental practitioners may only request certain services
 (2) A request made by a dental practitioner, acting in his or her capacity as a dental practitioner, for an R‑type diagnostic imaging service to be rendered is not effective for the purposes of subsection (1) unless it is a request for a service of a kind specified in regulations made for the purposes of this subsection.

Chiropractors may only request certain services
 (3) A request made by a chiropractor, acting in his or her capacity as a chiropractor, for an R‑type diagnostic imaging service to be rendered is not effective for the purposes of subsection (1) unless it is a request for a service of a kind specified in regulations made for the purposes of this subsection.

Physiotherapists may only request certain services
 (3A) A request made by a physiotherapist, acting in his or her capacity as a physiotherapist, for an R‑type diagnostic imaging service to be rendered is not effective for the purposes of subsection (1) unless it is a request for a service of a kind specified in regulations made for the purposes of this subsection.

Podiatrists may only request certain services
 (3B) A request made by a podiatrist, acting in his or her capacity as a podiatrist, for an R‑type diagnostic imaging service to be rendered is not effective for the purposes of subsection (1) unless it is a request for a service of a kind specified in regulations made for the