The AMA is calling on the Government to urgently address confusion created by Medicare compliance activities and better support GPs to care for patients holistically, including clarifying legitimate circumstances where GPs can treat and subsequently appropriately co-claim patients who are seeking both mental and physical health care. AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, today said recent Department of Health compliance letters and the Medicare system fail to adequately recognise the needs of patients with mental health problems, especially as these patients often suffer from physical complaints as well. “The AMA supports the need for compliance activities, however these recent letters from the Government to the medical profession have been left wanting,” Dr Bartone said. “It is perfectly legitimate to co-claim Medicare items when treating a patient with separate mental and physical health problems, but the Department has chosen to target (write to) a small number of GPs who do this […]