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Medibank and IPN Alliance

The AMA has been contacted by a number of members expressing concerns over an arrangement reached between Medibank Private and IPN where participating GPs at a number of nominated IPN practices agree to bulk bill Medibank Private members.

While this has been rolled out on a very limited basis, the concerns raised by GPs relate to compliance with the Private Health Insurance Act (PHIA), unfair competition and potential interference with clinical independence. 

As the participating practices are in Queensland, AMA Queensland has written to both IPN and Medibank Private seeking further specific detail on the arrangements. Federal AMA will also seek advice from the Department of Health about whether or not the scheme raises any potential issues under the PHIA.

Image by John Davey on Flickr, used under Creative Commons licence

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