i hope abbott introduces $6 medicare fee

A user pays system and stop this rorting.


DOCTORS who claimed Medicare rebates for treating up to 500 patients a day have been ordered to pay back $1 million in taxpayer funds.

One of the doctors had claimed about $8300 to "eyeball'' a patient every minute over a single day.

The federal government's Medicare watchdog investigated dozens of doctors who claimed rebates for too many patients last year.

This comes as the government was again called on to make patients pay $6 for each bulk-billed doctor's visit.

The Health Department Professional Services Review (PSR) ordered 19 doctors to pay back a total of $1 million, and disqualified four of them from claiming any more Medicare benefits.

Investigations are triggered when GPs claim Medicare payments to treat more than 80 patients a day, on 20 days of the year.

One of the GPs forced to hand back cash had claimed rebates for more than 200 patients a day over several days - and 500 patients on one day.

If the doctor worked a standard eight-hour day, each patient would have spent less than a minute in the surgery, costing taxpayers about $16.60 per visit.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health/bulkbilling-rort-renews-6-levy-call/story-fni0dguz-1226804958892