http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/doctors-in-medicare-rort-ordered-to-repay-4m/6903610


Quote:

Investigations into health practitioners rorting the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rose by 40 per cent in the last financial year, a report has found, with doctors ordered to repay more than $4 million worth of benefits claimed. The review panel is made up of doctors investigating the work of their peers. Of the matters referred for investigation, 70 per cent resulted in further action being taken, including the repayment of Medicare benefits for wrongly prescribed chronic disease management plans. Reprimands and restrictions on health practitioners being able to access Medicare benefits in the future have also been ordered. Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley said the PSR report highlighted reasons why such rorting was occurring and that it was sometimes through inaction. She said some health practitioners were failing to record their patients' medical histories in the most detailed manner, and some were not following up with their charges after putting in place chronic disease management plans which may not have been required. We need clear, strong rules around the use of individual Medicare items to make sure they're clinically relevant, they reflect contemporary practice and they're not of course misused for financial gain — small though that misuse is," Ms Ley said. "The instances of non-compliance are very small. "However, for patients who are not getting the benefit of the treatment they're supposed to, the outcome for them is poor, and for the taxpayers footing the bill, the outcome is unacceptable." The release of the annual report comes as the Government pushes its plans for a wide-ranging review into 5,700 items on the MBS. "It's important that the MBS items are not so prescriptive that they become restrictive, but it's also important that they do not allow areas that are ambiguous," Ms Ley said. "We know that our current system that bills Medicare every time a single service is delivered, actually isn't providing the best outcome for patients. "These chronic disease management items misuse features in about half of all of those compliance cases, and their report actually does specifically say that this is just too easy."

A Govt freebie being rorted?  How unusual?

These chronic illness plans are of very great benefit to a lot if people, whether it's heart disease, diabetes, all kinds of problems. They open up treatment possibilities not available otherwise.

Rather than rorting by doctors I bet you'd find in a lot of cases they would be swamped by a pile of bureaucratic paperwork, taking up time they could be spending with patients.

I think Adolph had a group of Party faithful doctors to oversee the activities of the Reich's quacks....... would be surprising if he didn't...

Who ARE these doctors and how were they selected for this oversight and review panel?

http://www.psr.gov.au/

http://www.psr.gov.au/psr-agency-corporate-information/statutory-appointments

Appointed by the government - seems more than fishy to me.... stacked deck, more likely.

Swagman wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 9:58am:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/doctors-in-medicare-rort-ordered-to-repay-4m/6903610 Quote: Investigations into health practitioners rorting the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rose by 40 per cent in the last financial year, a report has found, with doctors ordered to repay more than $4 million worth of benefits claimed. The review panel is made up of doctors investigating the work of their peers. Of the matters referred for investigation, 70 per cent resulted in further action being taken, including the repayment of Medicare benefits for wrongly prescribed chronic disease management plans. Reprimands and restrictions on health practitioners being able to access Medicare benefits in the future have also been ordered. Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley said the PSR report highlighted reasons why such rorting was occurring and that it was sometimes through inaction. She said some health practitioners were failing to record their patients' medical histories in the most detailed manner, and some were not following up with their charges after putting in place chronic disease management plans which may not have been required. We need clear, strong rules around the use of individual Medicare items to make sure they're clinically relevant, they reflect contemporary practice and they're not of course misused for financial gain — small though that misuse is," Ms Ley said. "The instances of non-compliance are very small. "However, for patients who are not getting the benefit of the treatment they're supposed to, the outcome for them is poor, and for the taxpayers footing the bill, the outcome is unacceptable." The release of the annual report comes as the Government pushes its plans for a wide-ranging review into 5,700 items on the MBS. "It's important that the MBS items are not so prescriptive that they become restrictive, but it's also important that they do not allow areas that are ambiguous," Ms Ley said. "We know that our current system that bills Medicare every time a single service is delivered, actually isn't providing the best outcome for patients. "These chronic disease management items misuse features in about half of all of those compliance cases, and their report actually does specifically say that this is just too easy." A Govt freebie being rorted?  How unusual?

Everything gets rorted eventually, be it govt. or private, freebie or not. How does the govt. expect the public not to try and rort them when they themselves rort the system ... helicopter anyone? They need to lead by example instead of pretending to have a solution.



But AMA president Brian Owler has hit back at the Health Minister, saying the politicisation was an "unprecedented action".

"Politicising the professional services review, which is a very important part of the compliance process, is an unprecedented action but also also one that I think makes people very wary of this Health Minister and her approach to general practitioners," he said

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/ama-accuses-sussan-ley-of-review-politicisation/6905144

John Smith wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 4:28pm:

[i]But AMA president Brian Owler has hit back at the Health Minister, saying the politicisation was an "unprecedented action".

Is the AMA the Doctors union, the hypocrisy of the doctors union in whinging about politics.

Lots of rorting in the medical profession along with government waste and inefficiency.

Baronvonrort wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 4:35pm:

John Smith wrote on Nov 2nd, 2015 at 4:28pm: [i]But AMA president Brian Owler has hit back at the Health Minister, saying the politicisation was an "unprecedented action". Is the AMA the Doctors union, the hypocrisy of the doctors union in whinging about politics. Lots of rorting in the medical profession along with government waste and inefficiency.

that's them