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Vic doctors not found guilty of fraud (Australian Financial Review, letter to the editor)
14 August 2009.
Your reporting of the Ombudsman’s report on TAC and Worksafe billing practices (Doctors accused of compo fraud July 30) fails to make it clear that the report confirms there is no evidence of fraudulent billing practice by doctors.
What the report does highlight is that TAC and Worksafe have inefficient billing and audit systems.
TAC in particular has tried over two years to shift the blame to hypothetical ‘dishonest doctors’, but has not prosecuted a single person, despite a number of investigations.
The Ombudsman has taken at face value the authority’s view that a failure to bill according to Medicare guidelines constitutes dishonest practice, which is simply wrong.
Workcover and TAC statutes require the authorities to pay reasonable medical expenses. Medicare is an entirely different system, and its fees and guidelines are not suited to trauma – hence, over the years the authorities have accepted a number of variations to the guidelines. Doctors have billed in good faith what they have believed were reasonable expenses. These accounts have been queried on occasion or have been paid.
The doctors are entitled to believe that bills that were paid were acceptable. To accuse them of fraud or dishonesty after the event is inexcusable, especially considering the value of the work that they do.
Jane Stephens
Chief executive
AMA Victoria
Parkville Vic
Victorian Medical Directory
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