Does the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule Hotline Support help you?

Does Medicare help you bill correctly?

Thank you for completing this important 5 minute survey.

We are concerned about the level and quality of support healthcare practices receive from the Australian Government when seeking Medicare item number interpretations. The consequences of not complying result in severe penalties and practice uncertainty.

We would like to know if it is fair, open and transparent.

We will publish the results in our Business of Healthcare blog at

https://thebusinessofhealthcare.com.au. You can find further information about this topic here.

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A Fair Go for Patients and Providers

Finally, we will write to the Federal Health Minister if the results are impacting on patient care.

Please share this survey with your colleagues. All information is de-identified and confidential see our Privacy policy.

Health and Life have produced this survey and research pro bono in the interest of improving patient safety.

References:

Do you find trouble in interpreting the MBS item numbers?

British Medical Journal of Australia, Volume 7, Issue 10, STANDING Collaboration: a study protocol for developing clinical standards

Contact Information:

Health and Life Pty Ltd

David Dahm

CEO and Founder

Website: www.healthandlife.com.au

Email address: pa@healthandlife.com.au

Phone: 1800 077 222

Question Title

* 1. Firstly, what is your role?

Medicare Billing Doctor Provider

Medicare Billing Allied Health Provider

Practice Manager

Administration Staff

Other

I don't know

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* 2. How many years have you been working in your role?

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* 3. What is the average wait time for a clear and consistent answer by phone or in writing?

5 Mins

1 Hour

1 Day

1 Week

1 Month

Never

Other (please specify)

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* 4. Do you think Medicare provides clear, accurate, consistent and Medicare audit reliable information?

Always

Mostly

Some of the time

Never

I don't know

Not of concern

Other (please specify)

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* 5. How long have you experienced a problem with Medicare support?

1 day

1 week

1 year

5 years

more than 5 years

Never

Other (please specify)

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* 6. What Medicare authorised audit proof 'clinically relevant' guidelines do you use?

I don't know

Medicare

Colleagues

Professional associations

Journals

Other

Other (please specify)

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* 7. Do you think it is fair healthcare workers are prosecuted for not complying with non-existent or unclear "clinically relevant" and commonly agreed peer-reviewed standards that may not have been published?

Currently little or no up to date, consistent and centralised national or international standards exist See British Medical Journal of Australia, Volume 7, Issue 10, STANDING Collaboration: a study protocol for developing clinical standards

Yes

I do not know

Other (please specify)

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* 8. Do you think it is appropriate to report a provider without consulting them for inappropriate billing that does not meet 'clinically relevant' standards?

Yes

Other (please specify)

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* 9. Does the uncertainty of Medicare rules and audit activity affect the care that you provide to patients?

Yes

Maybe

I don't know

Other (please specify)

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* 10. Should there be internationally centralised access to peer-reviewed, commonly agreed clinically relevant standards that you can rely on?

Yes

I do not know

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 11. Do you think it is the primary role of the healthcare professional bodies or the Government to set, teach and enforce clinical and ethical standards?

Government

Professional bodies

A mix of both above

I do not know

The current system works, there is no need to change.

An independent collaborative not for profit support body should be set up, for example, an international healthcare standards and ethics board.

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 1. Firstly, what is your role?

Question Title

* 2. How many years have you been working in your role?

Question Title

* 3. What is the average wait time for a clear and consistent answer by phone or in writing?

Question Title

* 4. Do you think Medicare provides clear, accurate, consistent and Medicare audit reliable information?

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* 5. How long have you experienced a problem with Medicare support?

Question Title

* 6. What Medicare authorised audit proof 'clinically relevant' guidelines do you use?

Question Title

Question Title

* 8. Do you think it is appropriate to report a provider without consulting them for inappropriate billing that does not meet 'clinically relevant' standards?

Question Title

* 9. Does the uncertainty of Medicare rules and audit activity affect the care that you provide to patients?

Question Title

* 10. Should there be internationally centralised access to peer-reviewed, commonly agreed clinically relevant standards that you can rely on?

Question Title

* 11. Do you think it is the primary role of the healthcare professional bodies or the Government to set, teach and enforce clinical and ethical standards?

Question Title

* 12. Other Comments Thank you for completing this survey.

* 12. Other Comments

Thank you for completing this survey.