Manage your participation in the bowel program
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (bowel program) aims to reduce deaths from bowel cancer by detecting early signs of the disease. If found early, more than 90% of cases can be successfully treated.
How bowel screening works
Eligible Australians aged 45 to 74 can do a free test at home every 2 years:
- Eligible people aged 45 to 49 can opt into the bowel program by requesting their first free bowel screening test kit be mailed to them
- Eligible people aged 50 to 74 automatically receive a bowel screening test kit in the mail every 2 years
Once you receive your kit, follow the test instructions to collect your samples and mail them to the pathology lab for testing, along with your participant details form.
Your result will be mailed to you and your doctor within 4 weeks, and recorded against your NCSR record.
How the NCSR supports your screening journey
We make it easier to manage your participation and stay up to date with your bowel cancer screening by:
- sending invitations and reminders when you're due to screen
- recording your results and sharing them securely with your healthcare provider
- notifying you and your healthcare provider if you need further follow-up
Information and preferences you can manage
We get your address from Medicare. If you wish to change your address, you will need to contact Medicare directly on 132 011 or visit www.servicesaustralia.gov.au.
You can also provide an alternative address for correspondence related to cancer screening, which won’t change the address recorded in Medicare. Do this using the Participant Portal or by calling us on 1800 627 701.
You can choose to be notified by SMS or email when you have a new message in the Participant Portal, reducing the amount of mail received.
To do this, log in to the Participant Portal and select the Communication Preference tile.
You can manage your participation in the bowel program by using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or calling us on 1800 627 701:
- Defer your next bowel screening date: You can request to change (defer) the date of your next screening for a defined period, perhaps because of travel or health reasons
- Opt out of the bowel program: It's your choice to participate in the bowel program. Before opting out, we recommend reading important information about opting out
- Resume participation in the bowel program: If you previously opted out of the NCSR, you can choose to resume participation at any time
You can nominate a healthcare provider and/or a personal representative to ensure continuity of care by using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or calling us on 1800 627 701:
- Nominated healthcare provider: Will receive relevant correspondence relating to your screening
- Personal representative: Is authorised to be contacted and make requests on your behalf in relation to screening
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program offers a free, simple test for eligible Australians to reduce illness and death from bowel cancer.
- Eligible people aged 45 to 49 can join the program by requesting their first free bowel screening kit be mailed to them
- Eligible people aged 50 to 74 will continue to receive a free bowel cancer screening kit in the mail every 2 years
- You can also request a replacement kit if you didn’t receive your last kit or if it was damaged, misplaced, or expired
If you still have your bowel screening test kit but have misplaced or damaged the participant details form, you can request a replacement in one of the following ways:
- Log in to the Participant Portal to request that a replacement form be mailed to you
- Download a blank form from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website
- Call us on 1800 627 701 to have a pre-populated form mailed to you
If you’re not sure when you last screened or when you can expect your next bowel screening test kit to arrive, login to the Participant Portal or call us on 1800 627 701.
You can nominate a preferred/alternate name or a pseudonym to be recorded in the NCSR and used for all contact, including letters and notifications:
- Preferred or alternate name: For example, a name that you use regularly, such as a nickname or shortened version of your name
- Pseudonym: An alias or a fictitious name assumed for a particular purpose (for example, to protect your privacy)