Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Pre-Budget submission to the Australian Government
The ASA recently made our pre-budget submission to the Australian Government for the 2026-27 Budget.
ASA Pre-budget submission to the Australian Government
The submission focused on four key areas for action:
-
Medicare fee reform for obstetric ultrasound
-
Targeted endometriosis training and support for sonographers, doctors and other health professionals
-
Extending the Prac Payment scheme to sonography students to support a more sustainable sonographer workforce
-
Equitable access to ultrasound in rural and regional Australia
Medicare fee reform for obstetric ultrasound
The ASA has proposed increases to the MBS schedule fee (of which the rebate is a percentage) for all obstetric ultrasound MBS items, to reflect the real cost, time and clinical complexity of performing these services. Obstetric ultrasound has been subject to prolonged underfunding and disparity, and this initiative aims to improve access to affordable, quality obstetric ultrasounds by encouraging service provision, reducing out of pocket costs and increasing bulk billing rates across Australia.
Importantly, this proposal addresses concerns raised by ASA members about the need to properly fund services for multiple fetuses, to recognise the increased complexity of these pregnancies, that each individual fetus requires a complete examination, and that there are no major time savings or efficiencies gained from scanning multiples.
This proposal reflects the ASA’s response in November to the Government’s Review of Select Medicare-Funded Diagnostic Imaging Services – Phase Two (Obstetric and Gynecological Items), which you can read here:
Review of Select Medicare Funded Diagnostic Imaging Ultrasound Services – Phase Two
Endometriosis training and support
Following strong advocacy from the ASA, the new Endometriosis ultrasound item (55080) was introduced in November 2025, providing a higher schedule fee for complex gynaecological examinations of 30 minutes or more. There is currently no specialised training program for sonographers to perform these exams.
The ASA has proposed specialised training, support and information to upskill more sonographers with the capability to perform high quality endometriosis-specific ultrasounds so that more of these services can be offered around Australia.
The ASA also recognises that clinicians such as doctors, gynaecologists, nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives, as well as many in allied health, are primary points of contact for many women affected by endometriosis and play a pivotal role. We have proposed training and support to address the significant challenges for referrers in identifying endometriosis, to understand the complex nature of symptoms and the emerging pathways in diagnostics, treatment and management.
The ASA has also proposed initiatives to boost awareness of the capabilities of ultrasound in detecting endometriosis in the public health sector, and more targeted training for radiologists and referring GPs. A public awareness campaign has been proposed to ensure Australians know about the emerging role of non-invasive ultrasound in the diagnostic pathway for endometriosis.
ASA is tracking progress in this emerging field of sonographer expertise. We are interested in the uptake and performance of the new MBS item, the availability and quality of services, and broader awareness of these services in the health community. If you would like to share your experience or views on this topic, please contact the Policy and Advocacy team at policy@sonographers.org.
Prac Payments for sonography students
The ASA continues to advocate for the extension of the Commonwealth Government’s Prac Payments scheme to all allied health students, including sonographers.
The scheme currently provides Australian teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students with a weekly payment while undertaking supervised mandatory placements.
The ASA proposal emphasises the chronic workforce shortage and supply constraints in the sonography sector. Again, we highlighted the significant clinical placement hours required before sonographers can graduate (around 2200hrs) which limit their ability to earn an income for a prolonged period. Our proposal highlighted the high time commitment required for sonography placements compared to the four professions currently captured by the scheme: teaching (480-640hrs), nursing (800-1000hrs), social work (1000hrs) and midwifery (1300-1500hrs).
Based on a recent ASA student survey, we were able to quantify ongoing concerns about the financial pressure on sonography students on placement. Most are unpaid, yet 65% of students reported giving up their supplementary paid work in order to undertake placements. This means most students are heavily reliant on savings and support from family, friends and partners. It places sonography students under significant, and prolonged financial pressure – rated by a third of respondents as ‘extreme’ – with a range of negative consequences.
Financial relief through the Prac Payment would help lift students out of placement poverty and is also likely to encourage students to undertake placements in more isolated areas, which have higher transport and relocation costs.
Equitable access in rural and regional Australia
The ASA has emphasised the inequitable access to vital ultrasound services in non-metropolitan communities around Australia, the unique workforce challenges in isolated communities and difficulties in maintaining viable services when there are lower patient volumes and higher operating costs.
Targeted Commonwealth investment has been proposed to strengthen equitable access to essential ultrasound services in rural, regional and remote communities, including Medicare loadings for services performed in MMM3 to MMM8 locations and establishing, or extending, workforce incentives for sonographers in these regions. The ASA has also emphasised the need for the obstetric ultrasound fee reforms (Proposal 1) to consider rural service viability in their design.
Thanks again for your continued input on this important work.
ASA Policy and Advocacy Team