A GP has been ordered to repay Medicare more than $70,000 after claiming item 160 for patients in “imminent danger of death” for presentations such as back pain, anxiety and knee injuries.

A Professional Services Review (PSR) investigation also revealed the GP, who was practising in Victoria at the time, had been charging some patients gap payments for level B consults and then claiming a bulk-billing rebate for the service. 

“In some [cases], the [GP] attended to the patient on the date of the service for the purpose of rendering another service that he would then bill on the following day,” the PSR committee said.  

It added that the GP had also claimed level B attendance items for tasks other than consulting with patients, such as making a record in his notes and reading specialist reports or test results.