Illegal billing by doctors and other health providers is rampant, with as few as three-in-10 patients being properly bulk-billed despite federal government claims that rates are close to 90%, the first comprehensive review of Medicare claiming and compliance has found.
The review, authored by Dr Margaret Faux, found a primary cause of Medicare fraud was ignorance by healthcare providers, who do not comprehend the complex billing system and often have no idea they are not complying with regulations.
