The Australian Medical Association is circulating a petition against proposed legislation to require Doctors to supply details of medical services to facilitate auditing of medicare payments. In statements to the media the AMA have cited concern for patient privacy as their motive. However there are already numerous statutes which require mandatory disclosure of patient information by Doctors, yet these have not been the subject of petitions in the past.
Like any good Trade Union, the AMA’s real concern may be the risk of Doctor’s being exposed to more effective investigation. This suggests that they are more concerned about protecting their members than protecting patients, and who would expect other wise. The AMA represent Doctors interests, not the interests of patients, and theirs is a professional representative body, not a humanitarian organisation.
The irony in the moral indignation expressed by the AMA is that the legislation they complain of can be seen as a direct consequence of some Doctor’s having breached public trust by rorting Medicare payments.
If the AMA had a genuine concern for patient privacy, then the protest would have already been running for more than half a century. It is curious that they have only now found their voice on this issue.
Podport approached the AMA for comment, but at the time of publishing had received no response.
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