CANBERRA—A scheme that will let patients claim Medicare rebates in medical practices is set to go ahead after the federal government agreed to compensate doctors for the extra workload.
Under the scheme, patients will be able to get their rebates in doctors' offices through the EFTPOS system when they pay the bill.
But the plan was put in doubt when the Australian Medical Association (AMA) said doctors would not want to adopt it because of the extra strain it would place on staff.
But today the AMA said the government had realised doctors would be taking on work previously done by Medicare Australia, and would compensate them for using Easyclaim.
The government will give medical practices 18 cents for every transaction, along with a one-off payment of $750 for metropolitan practices and $1,000 for rural practices to set up the necessary equipment and software.
AMA President Dr Rosanna Capolingua said the AMA would work with the government to encourage practices across the country to take-up the system ahead of its formal start in March next year.
Previously, she had warned that surgeries trialling the scheme found it took an extra four minutes for each patient, meaning that an extra staff member would be needed in a busy four-doctor practice.
"The burden that the government puts on doctors may well be transferred onto patients," Dr Capolingua said during a Press Club address in July.
Health Minister Tony Abbott initially dismissed the AMA's claim as "ambit", but agreed to ask the health department for more information.
Dr Capolingua today said there were still some concerns about the amount of time each claim would take, and whether the system was able to be integrated with existing practice software.
"These will need to be overcome if a widespread take-up of Easyclaim is to be achieved," she said.
"We will cooperate with the Government to eliminate these glitches before the system is fully operational in March 2008."
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