Medicare in November

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So it's November again...Woohoo! Time for our extra dollar...
Medicare up to $51.95
DVA up to $61.10

How many of you got your patients to sign the petition during Foot Health Month for the "12 visits" lobbying? Anyone know how many signatures got collected?

Anyone have any idea when the 12 visits may be likely to happen, if at all?

I think the ApodC have done well with the Toll calculator to show how the money can be better spent giving us the extra visits, rather than higher hospital admissions...
$100K for an amputation!!! It's not hard to do the math...Timely intervention and appropriate wound care management costs a lot less...Will logic ever prevail in Canberra? :bang:


Nat

 

Hi Nat,

I managed to get a page and a bit worth of signatures together however I have no idea as to the total number collected or the likelihood of 12 visits annually coming to fruition in the near future.
I, like you, am waiting in anticipation...however I think sensibly am not holding my breath!

Lisa

 

If it is approved it wont be until the next Federal budget, so May 2012, with an implementaion date usually around October for other Medicare changes. But don't get your hopes up. The Commonwealth have already agreed to kick a whole lot of extra money into Public Health (rather than Medicare) from 2014-15 under the National Health Reforms, with them picking up 55% of all growth.

 

Thanks for the update Stephen

 

Dear All,

In my 4 years in Aus i saw very many instances when the 5 visits per annum were just farcical in the inadequacy of provision.:deadhorse:

Acute Diabetic management would wipe out the allocation in 2 weeks, based upon 2 wound care and dressing changes per week.

The same is true for other High Risk groups eg PVD , Rheumatology, advanced Neuropathy etc etc.

Sadly there were many instances when Medicare was abused by both the Patient and the GP.:butcher:

So a more robust referral criteria is needed along with greater allocation of funding to provide the needed high risk CARE that should be provided in Private Practice to reduce the burden upon the Hospital system and also to reduce the morbidity and on going costs if an amputation is needed when it may have been preventable.

Remember the cheap bit is to chop off the offending bit of the lower limb.

The expensive bit is clearing up the mess afterwards eg

Prosthesis , loss of employment, welfare dependency, adaptions to home etc etc.

So a 100k dollar bill looks way too low to me. Remember there could be a 10 year on going management cost of the prosthesis and management of the pt.

So by comparison we and our Miserable profession offer fantastic value for money and MEASURABLE OUTCOMES which benefit both the pt and the TAXPAYER who is funding this.

So by all means go for further contacts per annum.

JUST MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT BECOME A 4 WEEKLY PEDICURE:bash:

REGARDS DAVID:drinks

 

Hi Nat,

APodC have asked me to inform you that current figures for the "petition" are at 2647 signatures collected as of the 8th of November - the count is still continuing. The highest number from any one practice is 154 which is phenomenal.

The number itself really isn't that important as 2647 is a fantastic result regardless! What is more important will become evident over the coming months in how APodC uses these petitions and signatures in terms of political lobbying - of which APodC has set up a huge platform throughout 2011 via the Government messaging Committee and Foot Health month Committee. I personally feel APodC has done a great job throughout 2011 of lobbying and I think they have chosen the right message to lobby with in the high risk foot!