Big Big PIP is apparently off the cards, but what about Beautiful Bouncing PIP? Your move, DoHDA.
Last month, we misheard the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s pet name for the bulk-billing incentive payment. Unfortunately for the department, it got us thinking…
Let’s start off with a mea culpa.
At the RACGP practice owner’s conference in Melbourne in May, this humble hackette believed she had heard the MBS policy and review assistant secretary disclose that, within the walls of the Department, the bulk-billing practice incentive program payment was known as the Big Big PIP.
This made a certain level of sense – practices taking part in the program will receive additional payments totalling 12.5% of their total MBS billings.
If that’s not worthy of being called Big with a capital “B”, we’re not sure what is.
The idea of senior bureaucrats giving a cutesy nickname to an incoming government program was also somewhat humorous.
It was dutifully reported as such.
Which is why it came as a slight blow last week when we received a call from the Department informing us that we had been mistaken in our reporting and requesting a correction.
The MBS policy and review assistant secretary had, in fact, simply said the name had been shortened to BB PIP, where BB was a contracted form of “bulk billing”.
Gone were the dreams of a slightly sillier Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, wherein MBS policy and review assistant secretaries had pet names for their bulk-billing initiatives.
And while, yes, this bumbling broadcaster has some egg on her face, having written several articles calling it the Big Big PIP, sometimes one has to make an omelette.
In the spirit of good humour – and assuming Big Big PIP is now off the table – we’d like to put forward some alternative pet names for the BB PIP:
- Beautiful Bread PIP
- Boyish Bachelor PIP
- Balancing Baby PIP
- Blooming Baboon PIP
- Beer Bottle PIP
- Baffling Banana PIP
- Beneficial Beneficent PIP
- Bug Baby PIP
We’re not sure if any of these are as catchy as Big Big PIP, but one never knows!
Submit your Bold, Beautiful naming suggestions to Holly@medicalrepublic.com.au.
