tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646270.post996304230734149439..comments2024-01-28T19:45:49.757+13:00Comments on <img src="https://i.imgur.com/96UqJAN.jpg"> Australian Politics: jonjayrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13363092874281160320noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646270.post-58974820813697659352016-09-14T16:15:42.837+12:002016-09-14T16:15:42.837+12:00The trouble with scaling back Medicare rebates for...The trouble with scaling back Medicare rebates for perceived over-servicing is that these days its become harder to determine when something is really over-servicing vs litigation-defensive (which the crooked Docs know too well). Unless every Doctor is accompanied by a Stalinesque Party Commissar who vets every decision for medico-legal reliability then Doctors have to make their own judgements, and one incorrect "no" can be career and soul destroying. Colonoscopy is a bit fraught also because putting that in the basket of over-servicing bumps up against Government-sponsored awareness campaigns. These often mandate a colonoscopy as part of extended screening, to confirm the presence or absence of active disease (if the FOB paper turns the right colour). A lot of internal haemorrhoids are out (up) there in the modern, Western community, and a lot of false positives in the Government screening kit can result in a lot of un-needed colonoscopies being ordered. I don't think too many Docs order colonoscopy on healthy people, and I'm not sure its something even the worried-well would be so quick to demand. Many lose interest quickly when they find out just where it goes. We know Governments are great for not thinking through consequences (K. Rudd meet NBN)and I think a lot of decent Doctors will find their decision making constrained with Government leaving them to wear the results.<br /><br />The greater trouble is the perennial one of Government trying to take back something already granted. Never happens, and if they try they are promptly voted out, no matter how sound the judgement to take it back may be. Think Jeff Kennett or Campbell Newman.Paulnoreply@blogger.com