The $1.4 billion cosmetic surgery industry is illegally claiming Medicare rebates for medically unnecessary procedures such as facelifts, Botox, breast implants and tummy tucks.The Sydney Morning Herald, The Ageprogram that the sector is recovering rebates for services it is not entitled to claimMedicare was set up as a universal health system that provides free or subsidised health services that are medically necessary. It means rebates for cosmetic procedures are not claimable.
Dr Tony Webber, who ran the government’s Medicare watchdog for 6 ½ years until August 2011 and is now practising as a GP, said he identified some practitioners trying to claim cosmetic surgery on Medicare, including claiming labiaplasty surgeries, which is now one of the fastest growing cosmetic surgery procedures in the world.
She realised something was horribly wrong almost immediately after surgery. “I remember going back to another consultation and just sobbing. I was in such distress because of my injury. I was crying in the consult room and I remember that they shuffled me away to not upset any of the other potential patients or clients in the room.”
“It was particularly horrendous for Janine because her surgery ended up actually inflicting that precise mutilation on her,” she said. When he worked at the Lanzer clinics he said he saw blood work and pathology bulk billed for cosmetic surgery patients.