RACS acknowledges and accepts the Government’s previous announcement during their 2017- 2018 Budget as to the introduction of legislative amendments that will help improve Medicare compliance.
During the announcement of that budget in May 2017 it was shown that only 20 per cent of Medicare debts raised were ever recovered. By December 2018 the Government claimed that debt recovery rose to 40 per cent and that stronger powers were still needed “so that the Government could recover more of the funds overpaid due to incorrect claiming, inappropriate practice and fraud.” We understand the context and the need for such changes.
RACS is concerned about two basic elements absent in the Bill and the legislative instrument of enforcement. These being:
- Procedural fairness and the right to an appeal
- Errors misconstrued as false or deliberately misleading
These are addressed in our full submission. (PDF 205.51KB)