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The other reason people don't see these professionals is time, and under the Australian medicare system at least, there's a problematic time/cost tradeoff syste
by Sir_Substance 12y ago
The other reason people don't see these professionals is time, and under the Australian medicare system at least, there's a problematic time/cost tradeoff system.
My last visit to a doctor went like something like this (it's been a while, excuse any slight irregularities):
1. Take a day off at your own expense to see the doctor
2. Submit a claim to medicare
3. Get called into medicare office because my medicare card has expired (???). Medicare is only open 9:30-4:30 weekdays
4. Take a day off to see Medicare and get issued a new card with exactly the same number on it.
5. Resubmit claim
6. Receive a cheque in the mail several weeks later addressed to the doctor, along with instructions to give it to the doctor before tomorrow
7. Have to take a day off to get it to the doctor because the post won't be that fast.
Three days of lost time and money, it would have been cheaper not to claim the value of the consult.
I don't see doctors often.
- nilkn 12y agoI went significantly out of my way to find a dentist in my city who accepted my insurance and worked on Saturdays. I finally found one and have gotten a lot of important dental work done since then without having to take any time off work. The sad thing is that if I hadn't found this dentist I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten the work done. My teeth were in bad shape and needed two crowns (two visits each), two fillings, and I ended up getting four veneers as well (totaling three visits). All that said, I'm extremely skeptical of the approach outlined in the article. It's going to work safely for the majority of patients and probably cause serious harm in a minority where the lack of one-on-one consultation causes significant dental issues to be overlooked (such as periodontal disease). We need more dentists and orthodontists in general to keep costs down, and in particular we need more who practice when patients are most readily available to see them (i.e., not when their patients are themselves at work), but we don't need DIY kits.
- TheSpiceIsLife 12y agoThe last time I saw a doctor -late last year- the payment was processed at the counter on the way out and I received payment from Medicare in to my bank account two todays later. Check out my.gov.au and get digital with government services.
- Sir_Substance 12y agoI've never had medicare pay me, it's always been "here is a cheque for the doctor, please take it to him, we cannot send it directly to him because of reasons". I don't know what they're doing, and I'm not really interested in wading through mygov again after the pain in the arse it made submitting tax last year unless I have to. If going to the doctor isn't easy, then I'll only go when I have a problem. When I do go, I'll pay full price myself, so I don't have to deal with Medicare.
- reubenbond 12y agoGo to a doctor which bulk bills and you wont have to pay anything. My experience: Call doctor at 9am to book appointment. Walk into medical center at 1pm. See doctor. Sign form on my way out to say I received treatment. I didn't have to open my wallet once. Edit: Also, why didn't you use sick leave?
- Sir_Substance 12y agoContractor.