AMA calls for adequate funding for pathology services
The AMA has released an updated Pathology Position Statement emphasising that pathology services in Australia must remain high-quality, accessible and affordable. Despite their critical importance to modern healthcare, Medicare rebates for pathology testing remained stagnant for more than two decades.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen noted that while partial indexation introduced in 2024 was welcome, indexation must be restored for all pathology services to prevent further threats to accessibility, affordability and safety.
The statement also calls for further consultation on planned changes to MBS rebates for vitamin B12 testing and urine examination, with concerns that proposed changes do not align with appropriate clinical practice.
"Pathology services underpin personalised medicine, allowing treatment and management of disease to be tailored to the individual," Dr McMullen said. "For example, antibiotic sensitivity testing for bacterial infections and genomic testing for cancer and autoimmune diseases prevents unnecessary treatments and allows targeting of expensive therapies to the patients most likely to benefit."
The position statement emphasises that properly funded pathology is essential for the entire healthcare system and focuses on supporting a high-quality pathologist workforce, integrating genomic testing into healthcare, and maintaining rigorous standards.