The Federal Government has finished receiving submissions on its Health Legislation Amendment (Data-matching) Bill, and we are now waiting to see how the law will appear in its final form.

The consultation guide issued in September makes a strong argument for matching existing data from a range of sources to help combat fraudulent use of Medicare.¹

Some examples of fraud covered in the guide will clearly be supported by any honest person. These include if the GP or patient is out of Australia at the time that a service is claimed, which can be uncovered by matching immigration and Medicare claims data.

And, if a practitioner with restrictions on their registration bills for items they’re excluded from, that surely warrants identification and correction.