Not Just what you do, but the way you do it
Lyn Martin was her husband’s full-time carer until he moved into residential aged care. She is concerned about the lack of GP services to the sector. Read More...
GP
Watch the Pennies, or Lash Out?
Medical Editor Dr Rob McEvoy draws inferences, mainly for those in private practice, from an in-depth look at one financial report. Read More...
September 2011
General practice changes We are told a growing number of overseas trained doctors who have served out their...
October 2010
Pals again Two new initiatives are giving general practice a helping hand in WA. The first, a combined...
September 2010
Medication meanderings Datamonitor reports that the Aussie asthma/COPD market grew from $278m in 2006 to $333m in 2009....
August 2009
Ramsay and HBF at loggerheads
Ramsay Health Care, operator of Hollywood, Joondalup, Attadale, and Glengarry private hospitals has withdrawn from negotiations with HBF over fee increases, which HBF claims are too high. The health insurer put pressure on Ramsay through a letter sent to members in July warning of higher admission charges, but when quizzed, an HBF spokesperson confirmed HBF will honour its previous agreement with Ramsay and not charge members default ‘second tier' benefits. The dispute is before the Health Insurance Ombudsman with a resolution expected soon. Stay tuned!
St John review submissions
You've probably seen the Four Corners Report on the alleged systemic failures of St John Ambulance and heard the media and political bluster. St John Ambulance's Medical Director Dr Garry Wilkes gives his perspective on the issue on page 4. Now, Kim Hames is calling for submissions as part of the review into St John's quality and safety (before the government renews their ambulance service contract). The review is to be conducted by Greg Joyce, former Director-General of the Department of Housing and Works and overseen by Dr Simon Towler, the Department of Health's Chief Medical Officer. If interested, send your submissions to Ms Kim Loh, Development Division, Department of Health, PO Box 8172, Perth Business Centre, WA, 6849, or via email to loh.kim@health.wa.gov.au. Hurry, submissions close early August!
Stan and the Medical Board
Doctors may have been worried about where their fees were heading after reading in The West that fraud squad detectives had charged prominent Stamfords accountant Stan Palassis with stealing $80,000 from the WA Medical Board...
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November 2008
United we stand
Australia's general practice peak bodies have banded together to boost their lobbying power and provide a consensus opinion on important matters affecting general practice. The national group, called United General Practice Australia, is an amalgamation of leaders from the AMA, RACPG, Divisions (Australian General Practice Network), Rural Doctors Association, General Practice Registrars Association, and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. Highest on their agenda is a call for an extra 100 national GP training places, international medical students, and national accreditation.
Gap gaffs downplayed
In early October, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon promised to crack down on medicos who failed to tell patients about gap fees but the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman has found the number of complaints about gap fees for hospital treatment is small. The Ombudsman received 2,385 complaints in the 12 months to June 2008, which was 45 (1.9%) more than the previous year. Most complaints were about health insurers (2267), followed by hospitals (133) and practitioners (56). Policy holders with Medibank Private (which has 28.6% market share), made 22% of the complaints. MBF Australia (15.9% market share) policy holders made 28.4% of the complaints and HBF (7.6% market share) made 2.1% of complaints.
Cosmetic cleanup
Speaking of clampdowns, the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) is taking aim at inexperienced cosmetic surgeons...
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