AMA speaks out on Medicare allegations

The AMA came out strongly in defence of doctors when allegations of widespread defrauding of Medicare to the tune of $8 billion were made in a 7.30 / Nine Newspaper investigation this week.

A media story this week suggested that up to $8b was being defrauded each year from Medicare by health professionals, including doctors.

The AMA called the allegations an unjustified slur on the entire medical profession, stating that the vast majority of doctors do the right thing by their patients and by Medicare rules. 

The AMA issued a statement, wrote to members and did numerous media interviews - including on the 7.30 Report last night - defending the tireless work of doctors and highlighting the AMA’s work on compliance. 

“We do not tolerate fraud and examples of fraud should be tackled and stamped out — but the figures reported today are grossly inflated,” AMA President Professor Steve Robson said.

“The AMA works closely with the Department of Health on compliance and we have never seen any concerns or numbers that would support the figures reported today.”

Professor Robson also appeared on Channel 10’s The Project where the issue and the AMA’s strong response was discussed. 

Health Minister, Mark Butler ordered an analysis of the PhD research relied upon for the Nine/ABC investigation. He also questioned the $8 billion figure on ABC Radio National saying it seemed ‘extraordinarily high’ and was substantially higher than any figure used to date including those from the Australian National Audit Office.

“I understand the reaction from the AMA to the concept that 30% of consults are inappropriately billed. Because a figure like that has never been used in spite of the pretty long-standing compliance and audit systems that governments of both political persuasions have had,” Minister Butler said.

The AMA statement was picked up and run by various media outlets including SBS and Sky News with Professor Robson telling The Australian newspaper the AMA works closely with the federal government on compliance.

On ABC RN Drive, Professor Robson said: “I spoke with the Director of the Professional Services Review today, who said that represents 0.1 per cent of things. So that means one out of a thousand doctors, 999 of us actually doing our utmost to try to provide great care for patients.

“But this sort of thing is not helpful to anybody and it just makes a profession that's been totally smashed trying to protect the community for years want to give up. It's really shocking.”

The nonsense of the $8 billion dollar allegation was also highlighted in an article by Geir O'Rourke of The Limbic published yesterday.

In the article Professor Bruce Robinson, the endocrinologist behind the MBS Review Taskforce, told Mr O'Rourke he thought "no way actually" when he saw the allegation. Mr Robinson chaired the review from 2015 to 2020.