Australian Dentists Angry Over Fraud Claims
Hundreds of Australian dentists have reacted angrily, to claims that they have defrauded the Medicare system.
The government has announced that hundreds of dentists will be investigated, after Medicare discovered that dentists had claimed for work that had not been carried out. The claims relate to the Medicare chronic disease scheme, which allows dentists to claim more than $4000 for treating patients with chronic illnesses. Medicare claims that dozens of dentists have either overcharged for work or charged for work that they never completed.
Medicare has identified around $19.8 million in wrongful claims. The Australian Dental Association stated that the scheme costs around $800 million per year and this meant that only a very small minority of dentists had claimed wrongfully.
Dr Shane Fryer, president of the ADA, said that the vast majority of dentists are trying to use the scheme properly so that patients with chronic illnesses get the treatment they require, however, he added that the scheme was not targeted towards those who really need treatment, as people with millions of dollars are granted the same access as people who genuinely cannot afford to pay for treatment.
Dr Fryer said that the ADA had advised the government to target people in need, but their advice was ignored.
Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Human Services, said that the government had a responsibility to ensure that taxpayers’ money was being used properly.
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