Fed: Medicare "nightmare" for doctors starts today: AMA

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2000
Fed: Medicare "nightmare" for doctors starts today: AMA

CANBERRA, Feb 1 AAP - Today marks the beginning of a bureaucratic nightmare for doctors
faced with implementing changed Medicare guidelines on ultrasound scans and X-rays, the
Australian Medical Association (AMA) said.

AMA Federal President David Brand said new guidelines, effective today, would mean
some pregnant women would pay more for ultrasounds, and X-rays would cost more, except
when ordered for breast cancer or heart complaints.

But Dr Brand said it would be a "bureaucratic nightmare", with doctors needing to refer
to a list of 30 conditions to decide whether an ultrasound at 17 weeks of pregnancy was
justified.

"The conditions are designed to limit unnecessary ultrasounds and limit costs. However,
one of the conditions is `risk of miscarriage' (and) every pregnancy carries a risk of
miscarriage," he said.

"Doctors have been put between a rock and a hard place - the government's determination
to limit services and health costs at the patient's expense and the threat of legal action
if something goes wrong during a pregnancy."

The changes included cutting rebates for 17-week ultrasounds by 20 per cent and for
non-breast and heart complaint X-rays by 10 per cent.

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KEYWORD: MEDICARE AMA

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