Margaret Faux’s rorts report accused GP researchers of ‘normalising fraud’ — here is their response
University of Sydney researchers deny claims they identified fraud and excused it.
GP researchers have responded to the new Medicare rorts report, which cited their study when accusing GPs of “stealing from the government”.
Four Corners had commissioned the report from lawyer Dr Margaret Faux (PhD) and UK medical billing company Kirontech for a story accusing spinal surgeons and anaesthetists of rorting Medicare.
But their 73-page report also accuses GPs of dishonesty based on BEACH research.
Dr Faux and Kirontech chief medical adviser Dr Simon Peck write that a 2023 BEACH study, published in the Australian Journal of General Practice, is “a good example” of how Australia “descended into the normalisation of fraud”.
