Telehealth crackdown: Not feasible to reject GP Medicare claims, says dept
Many doctors have asked why 'inappropriate claims' cannot be identified when they are lodged
A Medicare block that automatically rejects GPs’ incorrect telehealth claims is “not feasible” in the current system, federal health officials say.
RACGP president Dr Karen Price has backed the idea to stop doctors falling foul of the ‘existing-relationship’ rule without the need for audits or damaging compliance campaigns.
The argument is that Medicare’s online claims system could instantly determine if a patient has seen a doctor at the practice for a face-to-face consult in the previous 12 months based on MBS records.
“It is up to the Department of Health to create the environment in which meeting compliance obligations is easy and stress free,” she said this week.
