Wait… chiropractors make up 90% of allied health diagnostic imaging requests?
Chiropractors should be limited to three spinal imaging requests per patient per year and be subject to focussed education and audit activities, the AMA says in a new submission.
The association, citing a departmental letter dated 15 November 2025, said data indicated that chiropractors accounted for 89% of all diagnostic imaging requests from allied healthcare workers in 2024, far exceeding usage by physiotherapists and osteopaths.
According to the AMA, the volume of imaging requests from chiropractors rose from 473,922 in 2020 to 624,613 in 2024.
In answer to a question on whether chiropractor-specific MBS items would be helpful, the medical association recommended against “itemising every anatomical permutation”.
“We agree action is warranted given the high level of chiropractor utilisation,” the AMA wrote.
“However, we urge a policy response that focuses on streamlining the schedule, strengthening claiming clarity, and targeting education and compliance, rather than proliferating new items.”
More specifically, the AMA would like to see frequency controls to discourage repeat, low-value imaging and reduce radiation exposure by limiting chiropractor-requested spinal items to three per patient per 12 months.
Exceptions, however, should exist for patients with complex conditions like progressing scoliosis under specialist review or a fracture with evolving symptoms; these, the AMA said, could be authorised by a patient’s regular GP.
“While emphasising GP-led care, the AMA also recognises Australia faces a GP workforce shortfall,” it said.
“Reforms should avoid forcing duplicate attendances purely to access rebates, adding delay and cost for patients.
“Policy settings must support GP‑led continuity without imposing inflexible requirements that could make care unaffordable or impractical.”
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The AMA also called for co-claiming restrictions to prevent medical radiation practitioners from splitting services across multiple claims and reforms to clarify that radiologists are responsible for advising on alternative imaging and communicating with a patient’s treating doctor.
“Radiologists lead the [diagnostic imaging] team, supervise services, make clinical decisions, and assume medical and legal responsibility,” the AMA said.
“They decide modality choice, dose optimisation, contrast administration, protocol modifications, and communication of findings.
“[Medical radiation practitioners] provide technical expertise in image acquisition and patient support.
“They must not independently assess requests, suggest alternative imaging, interpret and communicate findings, or act as gatekeepers for ‘low‑value’ imaging.
“They escalate urgent or unexpected findings to the on‑duty radiologist first; only if the radiologist is unavailable should they contact the referrer.”
