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The following articles have the tag Pathology
HEALTH economists have predicted heavy cuts to the PBS and MBS in next month’s federal budget as Prime Minister Julia Gillard again restated her government’s promise to deliver a budget surplus by 2013. The warnings follow the announcement of a number of measures designed to add more scrutiny to health spending. These have included the recent crackdown on the much maligned Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS), the deferral of PBS-listing for a number of drugs and the Government’s negotiations with the pathology industry to find further savings. The CDDS has been a Government target since revelations that ...
MEDICAL centres operator and pathology provider Primary Health Care Ltd has downgraded its earnings guidance for the third time within a year, this time blaming Queensland's natural disasters. Primary said on Thursday that the Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi that followed would wipe about $8 million from annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the 2011 financial year. While some of those losses were the subject of an insurance claim and recovery procedures, the outcome and quantum recoverable was unlikely to be known this financial year. On the basis that no insurance recoveries ...
NEW data revealing the continuing rise in GP management of chronic disease has sparked fresh calls for better remuneration of complex care. The latest General Practice Activity in Australia 2008-09 (BEACH) report has shown that chronic conditions management constitutes over a third of GPs’ workload with more cases being diagnosed and treated, despite fewer hours being worked. The report published this week by the AIHW based on almost 100,000 consultations carried out by almost 1000 GPs, has also shown the number of GPs working more than 40 hours per week has plummeted from 43% in ...
A GP has been forced to repay Medicare $473,000 after he fell foul of the Professional Services Review (PSR) for over-servicing and excessive ordering of pathology requests. The doctor was one of 49 medical professionals required to enter a negotiated agreement with the PSR in the last year after their practice was found wanting. According to the PSR annual report excessive pathology requests are continuing to land GPs in front of Medicare’s watchdog, and doctors are now being urged to give greater consideration to which tests they order for patients. Writing in the annual report, director ...
A GOVERNMENT proposal to restrict the ordering of tests for certain vitamin levels has met with opposition from doctors, who warn such a move could prove a risk to patient health. The Australian Association of Pathology Practices (AAPP) fears that requests for vitamin D, B12, iron and folate tests have been earmarked for cost-cutting under the ongoing Medical Benefits Reviews Task Group, which has been charged with finding economies within the MBS. At recent meetings of the Pathology Review Consultation Committee, which reports to the task group, the Federal Health Department flagged a sharp rise in vitamin ...
Dr Agata Bulinska, MD PhD Dermatologist in Gdansk, Poland and a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Co-author: Dr Cliff Rosendahl MBBS, FSccanz Lecturer at the School of Medicine, The University of Queensland
THE AMA has upped the ante in the long-running push to introduce point-of-care testing (PoCT) into general practice. With the Federal Health Department still delaying any formal decision, the AMA has introduced four PoCT items onto its recommended list of medical services and fees and is now encouraging GPs to bill the items privately. Dr Brian Morton, chair of the AMA council of general practice, said the benefits of PoCT were clear and GPs shouldn’t be bound by the need for a rebate. “We decided PoCT wasn’t going anywhere... there were all sorts of delays and ...
A NEW investigation into kickbacks and collusion between pathology providers and healthcare professionals has sparked fresh concerns among doctors. Last Thursday, Human Services Minister Chris Bowen announced that a Medicare Australia taskforce had been established to look at inducements offered to healthcare professionals in exchange for pathology referrals. “Medicare Australia intelligence indicates a small minority of providers may be offering health professionals benefits such as free or discounted rent, shares or cash payments to encourage requests for their services,” Mr Bowen said. “The Government will not tolerate this prohibited practice, which may result in patients undergoing ...
FALLING demand for pathology services has hit the bottom line of Primary Health Care, with the company predicting a $15m-$25 million drop in earnings this financial year. However, the personal fortunes of Primary managing director Dr Edmund Bateman still remain at an estimated $442 million. He was ranked 92 on this year’s Business Review Weekly Rich List. In a recent announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange, the company said it expected total earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBIDTA) of between $330 million and $340 million for 2010. At the end of the ...
A SENATE committee has supported proposed legislation allowing patients to choose their own pathology provider, despite concerns from GPs and pathologists that patient safety could be threatened. If passed by the House of Representatives, patients will be free to take their pathology forms to any Medicare-eligible pathologist from 1 July. A prom-inent statement will be added to all pathology request forms informing patients of their right to choose, although this addition has been delayed until July 2011 for further consultation. Both the RACGP and AMA had opposed the Bill, seeking an opt-out clause for situations where GPs ...
GPs have again been forced to defend their relationship with pathology providers, as allegations of kickbacks in exchange for referrals have surfaced in a Senate inquiry. The fresh claims were made by the Consumer Health Forum at a Senate hearing into proposed laws that would hand patients greater choice in selecting pathology providers. Carol Bennett, executive director of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHFA), said consumers had voiced concerns during nationwide consultations that their doctors were receiving kickbacks for referrals. “Whether those were pecuniary or other rewards is not clear,” she said. However, faced with ...
THE Professional Services Review (PSR) may soon be able to request that doctors hand over pathology specimens relevant to its investigations, under proposed legislation revealed last week. Under proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Amendment (PSR) Bill, the Medicare watchdog will be given powers to subpoena any “relevant objects” pertaining to suspect inappropriate claims. These can include pathology specimens, pharmaceutical preparations or medical equipment. PSR director Dr Tony Webber said such requests could be made in cases where the watchdog had reason to believe doctors had falsely claimed higher rebates for malignant legion removal and excision procedures. ...
Waiting for point-of-care testing to be funded in general practice is an exercise in endurance. Shannon McKenzie steps through the latest developments in this marathon issue.
POINT-OF-CARE testing (PoCT) strengthens the patient-doctor bond and could improve long-term chronic disease management, Adelaide researchers say. The latest research from the Federal Health Department-funded Point of Care Testing in General Practice Trial, which ran from 2005-2007, found patient satisfaction was significantly higher for PoCT than laboratory testing. More patients from the 3000-strong PoCT group agreed with statements that it strengthened the relationship with their GP and motivated them to look after their condition than did those in the laboratory group. The Government has yet to commit to MBS funding for PocT in general practice despite ...
GPs have hit out at attempts from pathology providers to recruit them in a bid to scale back bulk-billing services – a move that has also caused friction with consumer groups. Last week it emerged that five leading pathology providers had written separately to GPs asking that they limit bulk-billing requests to patients they believed were financially disadvantaged, including pensioners and healthcare cardholders. The providers said their requests had come as a direct result of cuts to 259 Medicare-funded pathology items announced in the May federal Budget. But the move has raised the ire of consumer groups. ...
Doctors’ arrangements with pathology and imaging providers are under new scrutiny, but how can you avoid the Medicare microscope? Mandy Bryan reports. DESPITE the introduction of tough new laws last year aimed at deterring doctors from developing unhealthy financial relationships with pathology and diagnostic service providers, Medicare Australia thinks doctors may be putting their hip pocket first when deciding where to refer their patients. It’s launched yet another investigation into claiming data – this time trying to identify “possible referral relationships” between doctors and providers which could indicate that the doctor’s desire for a healthy ...
AUSTRALIA is ill equipped to deal with the impending personalised medicine revolution and needs a national framework to manage genetic testing, experts say. The first national survey on the extent of genetic testing performed showed there was a large variation in availability across the country. The survey, conducted by Dr Graeme Suthers, chairman of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) genetics advisory committee, found 41,497 assays were performed for the five MBS molecular genetic tests available at the time. A total of 119,354 assays for non-MBS tests were provided by 56 different laboratories. More ...