Daily Telegraph - Sickly state of health claims

Patients and doctors are waiting four times longer for crucial healthcare claims to be processed by Services Australia than during the pandemic, the coalition has claimed. 

The delays come at a time 1.2m Australians are avoiding seeing the doctor due to the cost of living. 

Figures obtained by the coalition show blow outs of between 200 and 400 per cent longer for key healthcare related claims under the Albanese government as compared to the final year of the Coalition government. 

The performance deteriorated again in the most recent figures, between January 1 and February 29, 2024. 

But the agency has hit back, highlighting that in the 2021-2022 financial year, Services Australia was inundated with additional resources and a pause on various claims to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Department heads will today be grilled over the poor performance at the agency’s senate estimates hearing. 

Aged care claims took 49 days to process as of February 29, 2024, a blow out of 345 per cent as compared to 2021-2022. 

For Medicare eligibility claims, customers are waiting 65 days compared to 22 days in 2023-2023.

Patients who didn’t show their Medicare card or concession card when they bought medicine at the pharmacy are waiting 126 days to get a PBS refund claim processed. 

The same claim took 43 days a year ago and 40 days two years ago. 

Additionally, prescription shopping claims, which help GPs identify patients at risk of doctor shopping, were delayed by 400 per cent and took 45 days according to the most recent data. 

Coalition government services spokesman Paul Fletcher used the figures to argue that there should be a root and branch review of Services Australia. “These figures are shocking, especially following a global pandemic in which you would expect the government to prioritise health claims,” Mr Fletcher said. 

Health and aged care spokesman Anne Ruston said Australians were struggling with the cost of healthcare and payments needed to be on time. “Right now, we know that it has never been harder or more expensive for patients to see a doctor and this is having serious consequences,” Senator Ruston said. 

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen said the government has invested 3000 additional staff and committed to increasing the agency’s staffing in the budget.

Author: Angira Bharadwaj

This article appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 3 June 2024