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Old Wed Apr 10, 2013, 11:19 PM
Chirley Chirley is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Logan City Australia
Posts: 1,100
? Medicare fraud

Hi, I went to see a neurologist for an initial consultation on Monday. I was referred last year but didn't want to go so I kept putting it off until my GP ran out of patience.

Anyway, besides being the rudest, most dismissive, least helpful doctor I have ever seen, she billed me for an initial consultation....45 minutes or longer but told me I would get a complete refund from Medicare ($245.00). It was as if she expected me to be grateful. The problem is that I was with her for a maximum of 8 minutes before she refused to take over my care. I paid this account at the time and didn't notice that the item number was for a long consult until the next day when I was going to send the account to Medicare.

I rang the doctors office immediately and told them there had been a mistake and I had not had a long consultation. I was told that someone would call me back, but they didn't. So I rang again today and I was told that it didn't matter because I wouldn't be out of pocket. I told them it was fraud and I WAS NOT going submit that invoice to Medicare knowing it was criminal.

Now I'm in a position where I have paid the account but can't claim my refund because I would be knowingly committing a fraud which would benefit the doctor. I am scrupulously honest and this would go against my life principles.

To make things worse, I checked out the "rate my doctor" website and there were a number of other patients who found her rude and unhelpful but also charged them for a long consultation when she shouldn't have.

I'm considering reporting her for fraud. Would that be appropriate?

Regards

Chirley
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