MBS item

16018
=====

Injection of Samarium-153 to relieve bone pain from skeletal metastases when systemic chemotherapy is unavailable or ineffective, and conventional radiotherapy is inadequate or unsuitable due to widespread pain sites.

Category 3 · Therapeutic procedures[Group T3 · subgroup 1](/groups/T3)

Schedule fee$5,261.65

100% benefitGP, out of hospital—

85% benefitOut of hospital$5,157.15

75% benefitIn hospital$3,946.25

The schedule fee for MBS item 16018 is $5,261.65. Medicare pays $5,157.15 (85%) out of hospital, or $3,946.25 (75%) for a privately admitted patient in hospital. Fee effective 1 July 2026.

Gap for what you charge
-----------------------

Your fee$

Out of hospitalIn hospital (private)

Medicare pays$5,157.15

Patient gap$104.50

Bulk billing means accepting $5,157.15 as full payment, with no gap and no extra charges. [Add incentives](/bulk-billing?item=16018)

Item descriptor
---------------

Administration of 153 Sm-lexidronam for the relief of bone pain due to skeletal metastases (as indicated by a positive bone scan), if systemic antineoplastic therapy is unavailable or has failed to control the patient’s disease, and: a) the disease is poorly controlled by conventional radiotherapy; or b) conventional radiotherapy is inappropriate, due to the wide distribution of sites of bone pain.

[Explanatory notes and rules on MBS Online ↗](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=16018)

Health fund and DVA rates
-------------------------

Total fee each scheme recognises for this item in hospital.

StateNSWVICQLDSAWATASACTNT

Guides
------

- [How Medicare benefits work: schedule fees, 75%, 85% and 100%](/guides/how-medicare-benefits-work)
- [Medicare safety nets explained: original and extended (EMSN) thresholds for 2026](/guides/medicare-safety-nets)
- [In-hospital billing: the 75% benefit, the 25% fund benefit, and no-gap and known-gap schemes](/guides/in-hospital-billing-and-gap-cover)
- [Bulk billing incentives and BBPIP explained: 2026 amounts by MM area](/guides/bulk-billing-incentives)
- [The MBS multiple operation rule and surgical assistant fees](/guides/multiple-operation-rule)
- [Assignment of benefit for bulk billing: the changes from 1 July 2026](/guides/assignment-of-benefit-2026)
- [MBS telehealth rules: the eligible telehealth practitioner and phone items](/guides/mbs-telehealth-rules)
- [GP chronic condition management plans: items 965 and 967 explained](/guides/chronic-condition-management-plans)
- [Medicare billing compliance: claim time limits, records and the 80/20 rule](/guides/medicare-billing-compliance)

Data source: [Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule](https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/) · Record updated 1 September 2026. Health fund rates come from each fund's published schedule. Verify item descriptors, rules and fees on [MBS Online](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=16018) before billing. This is a reference tool, not billing or financial advice.