David Guest wrote:
Sounds like crap to me, Oliver.
With respect to Medicare referrals there are only two people you have to
convince of the authenticity of your document. The addressee and HIC.
Unfortunately the HIC won't come at any of this.
Medicare Australia (I'm forcing myself to get used to the HIC's shiny
new name) has been coming at it for probably a couple of years, by
accepting Medicare claims from patients who have seen specialists, where
the item numbers claimed are at the referred rate, even though the
referral was emailed without an individual digital signature.
Do you seriously believe that the Medicare Australia doesn't know that
this is going on?
I am sure that Medicare Australia knows that this going on and has
decided secretly (that is, without acknowledging it to the public or to
the profession and perhaps even to the Minister) to accept this
'illegal' practice, in the interests of the efficient functioning of
the health system - which is, after all, what Medicare Australia is
there for. If Medicare Australia has not told the Minister officially,
he can deny knowing that it has been happening, and if it becomes
necessary (that is, if Medicare Australia does ever decide to prosecute
any doctors) he can be shocked, dismayed and disappointed, rather like
the Ministers had to be in the AWB kickbacks scandal.
The only circumstance in which Medicare Australia would prosecute
specialists for itemising their accounts with referred rate item numbers
when they don't have a legally signed referral will be if it discovers
that one or more specialists have been generating fraudulent referrals
for themselves, or getting somebody to do this for them. Unless and
until this happens, Medicare Australia knows to leave well enough alone.
--
Oliver Frank, general practitioner
255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens, South Australia 5086
Phone 08 8261 1355 Fax 08 8266 5149 Mobile 0407 181 683
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