Medicare rorts by medical doctors throughout the nation price $8 billion a 12 months

MEDI-CARELESS

Docs are rorting as much as $8 billion a 12 months from Medicare, in response to the SMH and ABC’s 7.30, by billing lifeless individuals and faking affected person data. The “leakage”, because the paper put it, is a 3rd of Medicare’s annual price range. The determine comes from Margaret Fake, who has a PhD in Medicare claiming and compliance, and was backed by the previous head of Medicare watchdog the Skilled Providers Evaluate, Dr Tony Webber, He stated many non-public clinics are “run by companies, the place their shareholders are abroad”, and argued Medicare wasn’t designed for that goal. Tweed Well being for Everybody, in northern NSW, one of many nation’s largest clinics, is alleged to have claimed greater than $1 million for companies it both didn’t do or which weren’t claimable.

Talking of rorts — the Division of Prime Minister and Cupboard (PM&C) has lastly been ordered at hand over the Gaetjens report into the Morrison-era sports activities rorts. Then senator Rex Patrick FOI’d the doc in March 2020, which was denied by the PM&C as a result of it claimed it wasn’t within the public curiosity (for us to know the depth of a taxpayer rort? Hmm). Patrick was blown away, and lodged an enchantment to the Workplace of the Australian Info Commissioner in regards to the FOI. Quick-forward to now and it’s lastly dominated the report isn’t cupboard confidential, Patrick writes for Michael West Media. It’s tremendous essential — the report provides transparency, however the entire thing additionally units a precedent to stop “future improper cupboard confidentiality claims by ministers and officers”. From rorts to cost gouging and a Brisbane actual property company has informed landlords to boost their rents by 20%, saying tenants largely agree as a result of the rental market is in such dire straits, Guardian Australia studies. Tenants Queensland says it stinks: it argues hire will increase above CPI ought to be allowed provided that there’s been main work to the house to make it higher. Out there leases in Brisbane are down 48% in 2022 after individuals flocked to the Sunshine State in the course of the pandemic.

LABOR FORCE

NSW Opposition Chief Chris Minn is on monitor to beat Premier Dominic Perrottet within the March state election within the two-party most well-liked vote, in response to a ballot from the AFR. Voters say they’re indignant in regards to the NSW authorities’s response to the price of dwelling and integrity points — little question former Nationals chief John Barilaro’s NY commerce function remains to be contemporary in individuals’s minds… Minns is the popular premier for the time being too, with a lead of 41% to Perrottet’s 38%. It comes after Minns promised 10,000 additional academics and a domestically constructed fleet of trains to switch NSW’s ageing lot, as The New Day by day studies, tapping into two main protest ache factors for the Perrottet authorities this 12 months. The NSW authorities rapidly promised to shift 10,000 short-term academics into everlasting gigs in response, whereas Training Minister Sarah Mitchell blamed unions for not doing it sooner.

So might the state Coalition fumble the bag 16 years since Labor received an election in NSW? With Labor in federally, and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ possible win in November towards Opposition Chief Matthew Man, pundits say the stage is ready. And Perrottet’s reputation hasn’t confirmed to be a robust swimsuit. About 350,000 individuals voted for Gladys Berejiklian’s Coalition authorities in 2019 whereas voting for one more celebration within the federal election this 12 months, exhibiting her maintain on voters. Perrottet has retained solely about 50,000 of that Berejiklian cohort, pollster Mike Turner stated. It comes as Perrottet and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are butting heads, The Australian ($) studies, after the premier felt short-changed within the new $9.6 billion infrastructure pipeline. NSW obtained 10% of the package deal however has 30% of the nation’s inhabitants. The paper considerably cynically factors out that Victoria obtained 2.5 occasions more cash, together with funding for the con­tentious suburban rail loop mission in Melbourne, only a month earlier than the state electiion.

Get Crikey FREE to your inbox each weekday morning with the Crikey Worm.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

Torrential rain will “wreak havoc” throughout Australia’s east coast this week, in response to forecasters at Weatherzone. It’ll hit the Northern Territory and South Australia first because the low-pressure system strikes east, with the worst of it to pummel Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania for a number of days from Tuesday into Friday, the Day by day Mail studies. Meteorologists at Weatherzone referred to as it “what appears to be a endless conveyor belt” of unhealthy climate, with as much as 150mm of rain in Victoria and Tasmania doable, and at the very least 40mm forecast throughout different states. October rainfall data have been set in elements of inland NSW, The New Day by day provides, together with at Damaged Hill within the state’s far west. Sydney additionally recorded its wettest 12 months on document after solely 10 months.

About 120 faculties in Victoria are closed at present, and the city of Echuca was evacuated final evening as flood waters proceed to rise, ABC studies. A former quarantine facility in Mickleham is getting used as a 250-bed shelter, whereas 6000 properties had been with out energy on Sunday, Guardian Australia continues. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toured flooded areas in Bendigo and Rochester with Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday, describing the scenes as “devastating”, as CNN studies. Albanese stated 100 ADF personnel had been getting into to assist, and confirmed the catastrophe restoration allowance can be out there for individuals in 23 native authorities areas. It’s a 13-week earnings alternative scheme, whereas the one-off catastrophe restoration cost of $1000 for an grownup and $400 for a kid has additionally been made out there to individuals within the Campaspe, Better Shepparton, Maribyrnong, Mitchell and Strathbogie areas. Greater than 9000 individuals have utilized for emergency assist funds up to now.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Overlook what you had been informed as a child — typically speaking to strangers will be very rewarding. Informal connections “are as very important to our well-being, development and day-to-day existence as household and shut pals”, in response to Melinda Blau and Karen L Fingerman who wrote Consequential Strangers: The Energy of Individuals Who Don’t Appear to Matter … However Actually Do, as The New York Occasions writes. The highly effective chitchat will be had with almost anybody: the one who cuts your hair, the individual you all the time see on the health club, or the barista who makes your espresso. It was maybe within the spirit of this informal connection that comic Rebecca Shaw sought to search out her new native cafe in Sydney after transferring home, as she writes for Guardian Australia. After a little bit of native analysis, Rebecca and her girlfriend fortunately settled on one. It was near dwelling, the espresso was nice, and the baristas had been chirpy. The pair informed the employees their names for his or her takeaway espresso orders, and every thing was going swimmingly.

After just a few visits (and some complicated moments), Rebecca realised one thing: each employees member within the cafe was calling her Rachel — once they cheerfully greeted her as she walked in, once they held out her espresso order, beaming at her. Rebecca was confronted with a alternative — create an embarrassing second for everybody, or simply go along with it. And the way usually might one’s title actually come up, Rebecca reasoned? Seems: so much. When a pal introduced her and her girlfriend takeaway coffees, she requested him to make use of the moniker. When she’d meet — or run into — anybody on the cafe, she’d politely ask them to name her Rachel. “I started to have just a few small regrets,” Rebecca writes. It got here to a head not too long ago when a employees member warmly delivered her a mug of espresso… with “Rach” written on it in latte artwork. Rebecca says the lesson is obvious — in making an attempt to keep away from a second of embarrassment, she’s virtually in an episode of Curb your Enthusiasm now. However nonetheless, she refuses to right the document. Except the “absolute angels” on the cafe cotton on, “inside these 4 cafe partitions – I’m Rachel”, she declares.

Hoping your espresso is gorgeous and sizzling this morning.

SAY WHAT?

So why, throughout a battle that apparently is getting worse, with bombs now falling within the capital of Ukraine, is anybody selecting up the telephone to ring the bloke who performed a bloke who doesn’t really exist?

Paul Murray

The Sky Information host made the feedback after Mark Hamill, finest recognized for portraying Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, was made the ambassador for Ukraine’s military of drones. Wait till somebody tells Murray in regards to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s illustrious performing profession the place he fairly actually portrayed Ukraine’s president in a success TV present.

Not-so-swinging ‘60s: how the miniskirt destroyed Australian manufacturing

The miniskirt is a compulsory a part of any ‘these had been the times’ Sixties montage. Someplace between footage of the Beatles disembarking at JFK Airport and splayed tendrils of white and orange curling by means of palm timber you’ll get a shot of a pixie-cut mannequin with a hemline method above her knees.

“The miniskirt has turn into a logo of the ‘youthquake’ — better permissiveness within the public sq., the liberation of the feminine physique from enforced modesty and passivity, and an explosion of youth-driven counterculture that might outline the approaching many years.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Uganda orders 21-day lockdown in bid to comprise unfold of ebola (Al Jazeera)

Gunmen kill 11 at Russian military base in new blow to Moscow’s Ukraine marketing campaign (Reuters)

[New Zealand] inflation is about to begin coming down, economists lastly agree (Stuff)

Uber Eats to course of hashish deliveries in Toronto by means of new Leafly partnership (CBC)

Xi Jinping opens Chinese language Communist Social gathering congress with warning for Taiwan (The Guardian)

Huge protest in Paris towards inflation and local weather disaster (Al Jazeera)

Sweden Democrats droop official for insulting feedback about Anne Frank (The Guardian)

THE COMMENTARIAT

‘Would you want lunch? Can I clear out the chook home?’: what flood survivors really want after catastrophe strikes — Mel Taylor, Barbara Ryan (The Dialog) : “Having disorganised ideas is a standard response to emphasize and trauma. We spoke to many flood survivors who felt as if their brains had been “scrambled” throughout and after the catastrophe. Many stated it had led to poor decision-making that left them going through a extra complicated and protracted restoration. For instance, some who selected to delay evacuation confronted trauma that might have been prevented, such because the lack of pets. Others regretted choices made in the course of the clear up.

“Some individuals had the added stress of getting to resolve if they have to completely go away their houses — as a result of, for instance, it’s constructed on a floodplain or is just too broken to restore. This extra emotional pressure was additionally skilled by survivors of Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires. Cleansing up after the floods has been fraught. Many individuals didn’t take photographs of their broken homes earlier than they had been stripped out — and are actually struggling to show to their insurance coverage firm how badly their home was affected. Great individuals helped with the flood clean-up — however in some instances, it meant every thing occurred too quick. Valuable broken objects that may have been cleaned or repaired — resembling photographs or a grandfather’s timber chair — had been as a substitute chucked out.”

PM wants to deal with sexism in paid parental go away scheme — Roshena Campbell (The Age): “If he’s severe about that, then he must do extra than simply prolong the size of paid parental go away. He must take away the sexism that provides millionaires entry to paid parental go away whereas middle-class households miss out. To get parental go away pay, the federal government applies an earnings check. However the check applies solely to the earnings of the new child’s mom. If she earned greater than $156,647 within the final monetary 12 months, she and her associate get nothing. It doesn’t matter how a lot her husband or associate earns. They could possibly be actually taking dwelling hundreds of thousands, however so long as the mom’s earnings is lower than $156,647, the household can get the federal government’s cash.

“In his speech on Saturday, the prime minister stated he needed a “trendy coverage, for contemporary households” which is able to “assist dads who wish to take day without work work to be extra concerned in these early months”. Amen to that, but when he’s severe about it, he must do one thing a few scheme that provides households with feminine breadwinners and stay-at-home dads nothing. To be truthful, moms can presently switch parental go away funds to their husbands or companions if they’re the first carer. However once more — provided that her earnings is lower than $156,647 a 12 months. Everyone knows (or are) a girl who goes out to work to pay the mortgage whereas her husband works on his many unproduced screenplays and collects rejection slips from The Month-to-month.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Kulin Nation Nation (also referred to as Melbourne)

• Depart additional time in your commute this morning — Extinction Riot Victoria will probably be disrupting visitors throughout the Melbourne CBD to carry consideration to local weather change.

• The Stateless Youngsters Australia Community’s Fadi Chalouhy, who was born stateless, will give a discuss his struggles and triumphs in Lebanon and in Australia. It’s also possible to catch this one on-line.

Eora Nation Nation (also referred to as Sydney)

• Assistant Minister for Competitors, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh will give a chat entitled “A Zippier Financial system: Classes from the 1992 Hilmer Competitors Reforms” on the College of Sydney.

• Radio announcer Myf Warhurst will launch her new ebook, Time of My Life, at The Vanguard.

Yuggera Nation (also referred to as Brisbane)

• Authors Jeni Haynes and George Blair-West will launch their new ebook, The Lady within the Inexperienced Costume, at Avid Reader bookshop. It’s also possible to catch this one on-line.

Originally published at Irvine News HQ