Don’t wait six months to fix ECG bungle, doctors tell govt
They have written a letter to Greg Hunt saying patients can't wait until next year for a health department response
Medical groups are calling for an urgent review of the bungled revamp of ECG Medicare items, saying it is putting patients at risk.
Last month, 18 cardiac test items were replaced, effectively cutting the rebates for patients attending their GP for an ECG from $27.45 to $16.15.
GPs also faced new Medicare rules that they needed to refer to non-GP specialists when ordering 12-lead ECG, tracing and reports.
And according to the AMA, under the changes, almost all patients with suspected coronary artery disease must now be referred for stress echo tests first, not a myocardial perfusion scan.
