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RACGP urges red tape reduction for GPs

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The RACGP has welcomed potential new laws aimed at preserving Medicare integrity, while also flagging that extensive administrative work for GPs is leading to less time for patient care.
 
In a submission to a Senate inquiry looking into proposed legislation to improve Medicare, RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said a well-functioning primary care system depends on ‘the ability of health practitioners to devote their time and expertise to direct patient care’.
 
‘Administrative tasks, including compliance activities that are particularly onerous, take time away from patient care and inhibit the quality of services doctors can offer their patients,’ he said.
 
GPs have become increasingly vocal about the strains that administrative duties place on their practices, such as the lengthy wait times needed to obtain Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) authority approvals.
 
Dr Wright said the first step towards ensuring greater Medicare compliance among GPs is to address ‘the complexity of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and provide clear advice and direction to practitioners on correct claiming’.
 
He referred to a 2023 review into Medicare integrity and compliance, which noted that a significant part of Medicare leakage was due to compliance errors, rather than premeditated fraud, which also shows the need for more educational measures for GPs.
 
‘The report contained several recommendations highlighting the importance of education developed in collaboration with key stakeholders to support compliant Medicare billing,’ Dr Wright said.
 
A recent example of these measures is the Department of Health and Aged Care’s delivery of ‘education letters’ to more than 1000 doctors on the prescribing criteria for semaglutide.
 
‘Compliance processes can be stressful for providers and affect the quality and timeliness of patient care,’ Dr Wright said.
 
‘We maintain educational activities should be prioritised before compliance actions.
 
‘Where reasonable, health professionals must be given an opportunity to adapt or rectify their billing practices prior to being subject to compliance activities.’
 
As part of its inquiry, the Senate is also weighing up plans to:

• reduce the timeframe for lodging bulk-billed Medicare claims from two years to 12 months
• update investigative powers in relation to Medicare fraud offences
• streamline pharmacy approval processes
• manage and alleviate the consequences of therapeutic goods shortages
• support compliance and enforcement activities undertaken in relation to unlawful therapeutic and vaping goods.

In its submission, the RACGP said it has no concerns with reducing the timeframe for claiming Medicare bulk-billed services.
 
It also said the proposed circumstances for when information obtained by the Professional Services Review may be used as evidence in other investigations ‘appear reasonable’.
 
However, the college has requested more information about plans to bolster the ability of Medicare’s Chief Executive to obtain information about potential non-compliance and to more readily determine the amount that should not have been paid.
 
Dr Wright also expressed the RACGP’s support for broadening powers to search premises and seize goods given the sale of illegal vapes.
 
However, he said more information on what vaping products comply with Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) standards is ‘sorely needed’, including an efficient register of compliant products to overcome ‘significant delays’ in current updates to the TGA’s notified vape list.
 
‘While medical software used in general practice … list products, it is not easy for GPs to search for specific vapes,’ Dr Wright said.
 
The Senate Committee is due to hand down its final report by 3 April.
 
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