GPs ordered to repay Medicare $143,000 after ‘aural toilet’ item confusion
The PSR says the doctors made a genuine mistake when they used an item restricted to ENT specialists
Two GPs who claimed a $114 MBS item restricted to ENT specialists after they performed aural toilet have been ordered to repay more than $143,000 to Medicare.
Item 41647 covers the use of an operating microscope for a micro-inspection of the tympanic membrane.
But the wording of the item begins with “ear toilet” in recognition that the ear needs to be cleaned first.
Professional Services Review director Professor Julie Quinlivan says this led the GPs to misread the item and assume they could use it for patients requesting ear wax removal if they used a microscope.
