Doctor slams COVID ‘cost shifting’ as drive-through fever clinic opens in Eagleby
A doctor, who will open the newest drive-through COVID clinic on the southside this morning, has slammed the federal government for ‘cost shifting’ on coronavirus tests.
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A doctor, who opened the newest drive-through COVID clinic on the southside this morning, has slammed the federal government for “cost shifting” on coronavirus tests.
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Eagleby Dr Thomas Lyons said a change in federal laws on July 20, left the state government picking up the tab for thousands of tests which would otherwise have been paid for by the federal government’s Medicare.
The drive-through, which opened up at 7.30am, was deserted at 11am with hardly any traffic as patients had to get a referral frmo a doctor before going through.
The change banned people who had not seen a GP in 12 months from using the federal government’s free telehealth service to book COVID test appointments with GPs, who would bulk bill and claim the charge on Medicare.
Dr Lyons said patients who had not seen a GP for 12 months could only be tested at state government facilities including the often overcrowded pop-up centres at Parklands Christian College, and at Logan and QEII hospitals.
Those people would also be locked out of his new drive-through service, which opens this morning in the Eagleby Shopping Centre carpark on Fryar Rd.
Dr Lyons said he decided to help set up the drive-through clinic outside his Eagleby practice after he was called by a factory worker who needed to get tested but did not want to stand for hours in a queue at a state government centre at Park Ridge, Logan or QEII hospitals.
The worker was told to get tested after he came into contact with a person who had been in a restaurant with one of the three Logan women charged with falsifying their border certificates.
“If you have been to a GP in the past year, you can use the telehealth and call your GP and get a referral to go to a private testing clinic where you can book an appointment and you don’t have to line up and it is bulk billed,” he said.
“But if you have not been to a GP in the last year, you have to go to a state government facility and line up.
“Prior to July 20, anyone could ring me or their local GP, provide their details over the phone and arrange to be tested.
“But since then, if you have a suspected case at work, like the factory worker who called me, and you are told to go and be tested, only those who have seen a GP in the past 12 months can be tested in the community.
“Everyone else must attend a Queensland Health fever clinic and queue for hours, which means Medicare will save money as it passes the cost back to Queensland Health.”
Dr Lyons said the change in law largely affected those aged between 20 and 30, who were in good health and did not have to regularly see a doctor.
But federal MP for Forde Bert van Manen said there was no “cost shifting” as the state government fever clinics billed the federal government under a Medicare item for testing.
Mr van Manen said requiring COVID-19 video and telephone services were linked to a patient’s usual doctor ensured continued quality care from a GP who knew their medical history and needs.
“The federal government is also funding 100 respiratory clinics across Australia, including in Cornubia where referrals are not required,” he said.
“State governments are responsible for any health response to a potential COVID-19 outbreak, including the provision of community testing facilities.
“We certainly do not want to deter people from using these facilities but questions about long queues and the availability of fever clinics should be directed to the state government.”
The latest Queensland Health information showed that in Queensland, there have been 1085 confirmed cases, six deaths and 569,392 tests conducted.