Fed: GPs fees warning over indemnity proposal
By Sandra O'Malley
CANBERRA, Aug 13 AAP - General practitioners today warned they could be forced to raisetheir fees if the federal government accepted a proposal for uniform insurance premiumsfor all doctors.
Health ministers are considering a proposal which could see doctors with a smallerrisk of being sued, such as GPs, cross-subsidising insurance premiums for higher riskspecialists.
Federal Health Minister Kay Patterson has already floated the idea of a governmentsubsidy to cover premiums for high-risk specialists.
The federal, state and territory governments are working to address the medical indemnitycrisis, which has seen premiums skyrocket as a result of increased litigation and hugepayouts.
Some specialists, such as obstetricians, are being forced out of practice, unable tocope with the massive premiums for their high-risk area.
Victorian Law Reform commissioner Marcia Neave, chairwoman of a legal reform workingparty, told AAP uniform premiums was one way of dealing with the indemnity problem.
"Historically that was the way premiums were calculated, everyone paid the same," she said.
"(This) would spread the risk across all practitioners rather than confining it toa particular area.
"Another way of dealing with the issue would be to put people into bands, so that youdidn't have a complete cross-subsidisation but you had some."
Professor Neave said spreading the risk was a common practice throughout the insurance industry.
"It's an idea that might be a way of balancing the need to ensure that the system isaffordable and ensuring that people who were injured as a result of medical negligencewere fairly compensated," she said.
A draft report containing a number of recommendations was presented to health ministerslast Friday. A final report is expected by the end of the month.
But the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP) rejected any suggestion ofcross-subsidisation.
"This proposal demonstrates a total lack of understanding of the financial state ofgeneral practice and the capacity of GPs to pay higher insurance premiums," ADGP chairwomanJulie Thompson said.
She said GPs were already struggling with increased surgery costs and insufficientMedicare rebates.
"An additional levy imposed on GPs could result in many deciding to leave the professionaltogether or to retire early," she said.
"Alternatively, GPs may be forced to put their fees up to cover the cost of the levy."
Professor Neave said the working party was also looking at more effective ways to carefor catastrophically injured people.
"We're looking to see if there is a more rational way of dealing with people who experiencecatastrophic injuries as a result of medical negligence," she said.
"(We need) a more effective way of dealing with those cases rather than having to gothrough the court system."
AAP so/sw/sdh/sb
KEYWORD: INDEMNITY
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