There are fears “insulting” Medicare funding changes to routine heart procedures will mean patients with cardiac concerns will struggle to access lifesaving care or even avoid it altogether.
Key points:
- Medicare changes will mean GPs no longer get a rebate for interpreting a routine heart procedure
- GPs say the change is “highly insulting” and could lead to patients not getting care
- The Federal Opposition is calling for the changes to be reversed
The changes, which have infuriated doctors and prompted an unusual intervention from Labor in the independent Medicare process, will see GPs become suddenly ineligible for the $19 Medicare rebate to interpret electrocardiography (ECG) test results.
Currently, both GPs and specialists such as cardiologists receive rebates to perform and explain the results of ECGs, which detect heart problems.
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