Doctors found guilty of inappropriate claims by Australia’s top Medicare watchdog will not be able to force their workplaces to help repay their share of rebates back to the government.

Under a long-awaited reform, from July the rule that doctors are automatically held fully responsible for all MBS billings in their name will finally be ditched.

The move is intended to increase the fairness of the Medicare compliance process, amid concerns that doctors are being forced to repay rebates — even in cases where practice staff make claims without their knowledge.

As part of the system, doctors will be required to provide evidence to Department of Health officials that their own practice had meddled with their billings. Practices will then be given the chance to report their side of the story.