> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Greg Twyford
> Sent: Monday, 27 February 2006 2:05 PM
> To: General Practice Computing Group Talk
> 
> It's not mass civil disobedience until it's out in the open.

I hope that my message helped to bring it out into the fresh air and light of 
the day.
> 
> Either they don't know it's happening, or they are choosing to ignore 
> while everyone keeps quiet and no loss of face is involved for them.

You got it.
> 
> In fact, at the moment it's just possibly fraud on the part of the 
> practitioners who are involved.

Not possibly - definitely.  The people who are taking the risks are the 
specialists like Duncan and my local specialists who are issuing their accounts 
with item numbers that are to be used only when the referral has been signed in 
one of the ways defined by the Health Insurance Act.  The specialists are 
taking these risks in the interests of patients' welfare.  The GPs writing the 
'unsigned' (according to the Health Insurance Act) referrals are not taking any 
risk in this - I can send as many 'unsigned' referrals or other communications 
as I want.

In the old East Germany, there was a mass movement against the repressive state 
regime, which just folded up and disappeared.  If most specialists in Australia 
accept 'unsigned' (according to the Health Insurance Act) referrals, what is 
Medicare Australia going to do?  Sack them all?  Put them all in jail?  Demand 
repayment from millions of their patients?


Oliver Frank, general practitioner
255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens
South Australia 5086
Ph. 08 8261 1355  Fax 08 8266 5149
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