Payments to doctors for veterans’ compensation claims have risen by 35%, while the pay for filling forms has risen even more, from $14.70 per page to $22.55 per page.

But the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is simultaneously launching a compliance crackdown, targeting rorts; doctors who charge more than its fees; and demands from lawyers, patient advocates or family members for doctors to write reports.

This week’s fee increases mean GPs can now get $49.90 for an in-clinic consultation of less than 20 minutes or $141.35 for a consult of more than 40 minutes (see below).

“This represents a substantial increase in the amounts payable for these reports since the last official update,” a government spokesperson told AusDoc.