How LONG does it take for MEDICARE to write a cheque?

[artforartssake]

Following routine surgery on 9 Dec last yr, I lodged a claim at Medicare for my anaesthetist’s fees. Two weeks later, I checked my online account and noticed that the claim had been processed. It’s now nearly the end of Jan and I STILL haven’t received the chq for the anaesthetist.

Contrast that with the situation of the surgeon, where I paid his fees myself UPFRONT prior to the surgery. I then lodged a claim with Medicare and in less than one week, the refund (a LAUGHABLE 20% of the total) was in my bank account.

So why does Medicare takes forever to issue a chq to the anaesthetist, but refunds PAID DIRECTLY to the patient/claimant are credited in under a week?

And how CONVOLUTED is this system? If you DON’T pay your med professional upfront but rather, wait for Medicare and your pvt health insurer to stump up first; this is the logistical nightmare you’re faced with:

1. Submit your bill to Medicare together with the form
2. Wait weeks and weeks for Medicare to send you the cheque for your med professional
3. Send that chq to your med professional
4. Wait for the revised bill from your med professional
5. Submit the new bill PLUS Medicare statement plus another form, to your pvt health insurer
6. Wait a few more weeks for your pvt health insurer to send you the chq for the med professional
7. Forward that chq together with the balance to the med professional.

How much time and money is this costing everyone?

To be honest, I detest this scam of a health system of ours!

We pay “Medicare Levy” of 2% PLUS we pay huge pvt health insurance premiums (which are skyrocketing in leaps and bounds way above the rate of inflation) but (excluding hospitals) we STILL end up paying about 75% of our own med bills. And on top of that you now have to wait weeks for chqs to arrive, all the while being HARASSED by the doctors to pay their bills, which you can’t do anyway because you don’t know what your share is going to be!

Why can’t people like me just opt out of Medicare and negotiate a deal with a private health insurer to adequately cover all med bills?

[artforartssake]

we're probably going to change to Medibank, so I'll discuss it with them. My current health fund has never offered me this option or even suggested it to me!

all I know is that it seems to take forever, I'm out of pocket, my anaesthetist is out of pocket, we're all upset and frustrated at this charade and endless delays and running around wasting time and money AND all for a refund of less than 25%. To be honest, I hate this syetm and I wish it would change

[lyndal1838]

We are with Medibank now and they are really fast with their payouts.

Most of our bills are submitted electronically but the very few that we have had to submit to Medibank for refunds were in our bank account within a week.

With our dentist, the bill is submitted to the fund while we stand there and the payout is notified.  We pay the balance....all within minutes before we leave the surgery.

Our doctor bulk bills, as does the optometrist so no fiddling with the fund there.

On the few occasions we have been sent to a specialist they have billed the fund electronically and we pay the balance on the spot.

I am sure it is more complicated when there is a hospital involved, but all the doctors bills incurred by my father were dealt with promptly and the hospital itself dealt with the fund.

[wilk1149]

Yeah, you hate it good. It would be much better if we were like the USA where the health insurers take your money and then refuse to pay out so that you can lose your house over a very minor procedure. USA USA USA

[artforartssake]

all I'm saying is that people - if they want - should be allowed to opt OUT of Medicare and NOT have to pay the 2% Medicare Levy

They should then be allowed to negotiate whatever deal they want with a private health insurer

For the middle classes, the intervention of government into the health system has been a disaster, as another poster has also said. It has increased costs for everyone, reduced benefits for patients and left us struggling to cope with skyrocketing premiums and out of pocket doctors, surgeons and dentists fees

and on top of that, the Med Levy, which I recall once upon a time was set at 1% of taxable income has now DOUBLED to 2% of taxed income

[gleee58]

It's more likely that advances in medicine have increased the costs than medicare alone. 

You only have to look at the increase in types of surgeries, and increase in treatments for some illnesses and injuries.  

Take yourself back to the 60s if you want but please don't expect the rest of us to joyfully take the journey with you.