A consumer call for referrals reform has been regarded as an oversimplification of the issue.
The Consumers Health Forum of Australia has made an urgent call for the next elected government to commit to enacting reform on referral practices.
Proposed reforms from the CHF focus on reworking the current referral system to provide more accessibility and flexibility for patients.
Introducing longer-term or open-ended referrals was also suggested along with increasing Medicare rebates and bulk-billing incentives to ensure specialist care is accessible.
“The least we can do is streamline healthcare processes to better support people facing chronic conditions. These changes aren’t radical – they reflect the realities of modern healthcare needs,” said CHF CEO Dr Elizabeth Deveny in a statement.
However, some specialists say that the call is an oversimplification of the issue, with the current referral system having a larger issue with transparency rather than accessibility.
This transparency refers to how the referral system is explained to patients, especially regarding restrictions on referral applications.
“We don’t want to go to the American system where you bypass the GP and go straight to a specialist,” Dr Gino Pecoraro told TMR.
“Because we’re very lucky in Australia that the GPs are really good at matching up the needs of the patient and the specialist.”
“Safety and quality healthcare shouldn’t be offered up on the altar of affordability and access.”
Reform was also called for around how treatment pricing was regulated with an example given of a past government project aimed at publicly disclosing clinical fees.
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However, this was met with minimal GP engagement due to how it would push for a focus on pricing rather than effective care.
“The unintended consequence of that is that if two specialists work in the same area and they find that their friend down the road charges more, they may actually raise their fees, so it may artificially lead to increasing fees,” said Dr Pecoraro.
“They’re flogging a dead horse in that area.”
As for the CHF’s calls for reform on reducing referral expirations, they are seen as a safety measure, essential to effective care.
“What we’re seeing happening in a lot of states is that they’re privatising their public outpatients,” Dr Pecoraro told TMR.
“You’ll find that a lot of them are double dipping, just on the very, very edge, or over the edge of legality.
“Now that is fraught with Medicare legal danger for everyone involved.
“In those situations, the dating of a referral, even in the public sector, can fall over that one year rule or three months rule, if they were referred by a specialist.”
Overall, the current referral system has generated frustration with specialists and GPs alike, especially with how time restraints are still a necessary administrative safeguard.
“Consumers need to know that the doctors are doing honestly the best they can with the restraints put upon them,” Dr Pecoraro said.
“You also do need to have supervision and input with continuity of care from a GP who looks after all of you.”
