Backstory
I did a CoVID test about 3 weeks ago due to workplace requirement. Any symptoms you must get tested and get a clearance prior to returning to work.
Got a Covid Test as per normal @ a Blacktown (NSW) Pathology recommended by the GP. As far as I know, no cost is involved.
Today, received a text requiring me to pay $35 linking to Dorevitch Pathology (Based in VIC)
Has anyone else experienced this? is this Legit?
Yes, at the local GP as you normally would
nothing to do with your GP. what about at the Pathology?
I also had a test weeks prior to this, different place in blacktown and no billing
He should have been given an invoice or st least some form of notification that there was a fee on the day.
Sounds dodgy - Dont pay. Or ring them on 9244 0444
This was also happening in my area, people incorrectly being billed for the Covid test.
A spokesman from Dorevitch said patients were wrongfully billed due to a technical system glitch and a round of text messages have been sent to the patients advising them to disregard the bill.
He said patients who do not receive texts will be phoned or a letter will be posted to their address.
a technical system glitch
Seriously.
Worse explanation than "a rogue engineer done did it behind our backs".
Certain pathology providers have already lost a dozen COVID tests and people had to be retested.
Sounds better than "We got caught out trying to rip patients off" doesn't it?
Isn't that exactly the same engineer when working with Volkswagen???
You can pay for your Covid Test via Bitcoin of iTunes giftcards to this address…..
The coronavirus (COVID-19) test is free. There is no fee for the test when you get tested at a
public health facility, mobile testing centre or GP offering bulk billing.
Dorevitch Isn’t a public pathology service, they are private.
Might explain it
from what I head, if you have GP referral, it will cost nothing at private clinic.
so that bill is probably a mistake?
I have no idea
My partner got tested in a private pathology. Got billed as well and she was just told to pay the invoice and claim the payment through her insurance. We just haven't paid it yet as we keep forgetting.
Pay with iTunes gift card.
In case anyone is interested, pathology labs should be on your covid price gouging sh*t list. They jacked the test price from $24.40 to $100.
The federal government has spent the better part of $250m on covid testing, instead of $52m under the old pricing structure.
The private sector exists to price gouge. Literally it's number one goal is to remove as much money as possible while giving the patients as little as possible.
So if you support privatisation but think "price gouging" is bad that's logically inconsistent. "Price gouging" is how the free market is supposed to operate. The market is supposed to set the price.
The private sector exists to price gouge.
Thanks for that Sherlock. The private sector also need to manage the optics of their actions. The pathology labs certainly didn't come off looking like heroes.
As a result, they are on my sh*t list, along with supermarkets and anyone else that's behaving badly during the pandemic.
Yes let’s do it like in North Korea, you won’t see any cash hungry enterprises there. Last I heard covid doesn’t exist there! What a wonderful capitalist-free place.
I'm pretty sure the pathologists didn't shake-down the government in UK, Canada, France or Spain (or anywhere else where they have socialized health) and before you reply with "look at how poorly those countries did in the pandemic", the increased cost of the covid test in Australia had very little to do with the outcome here.
Heck, even the pathologists in the US (the epitome of capitalist health systems) didn't shake down the insurers for how much they get paid.
I'm pretty sure
Tell me when you are sure all those places you mentioned paid $24.40 aud to do coved testing.
You can even use $100 aud if you like and tell me the result. I haven’t the slightest of idea, but to suggest the capitalist system fails and lets socialise everything (which is what Diji1) always suggest, is misinformed
Tell me when you are sure all those places you mentioned paid $24.40 aud to do coved testing.
We're talking about the price increase during the pandemic, not absolute cost of this test in another country. I'll stand by my statement that the price of the test didn't increase in other countries. It's also curious that other tests that run on the same machines didn't warrant a price increase.
It's the equivalent of your mechanic charge 4x to change a tyre, the one day you have a flat. Is he entitled to do it? Sure. Is an @sshole for doing it? yup …
but to suggest the capitalist system fails and lets socialise everything
Erm, medicare is socialized medicine here.
We're talking about the price increase during the pandemic
Interesting you can compare the cost of a covid test pre covid to a covid test now. So, how many covid 19 tests were done last year, and is it the same today?
So, how many covid 19 tests were done last year, and is it the same today?
There was a scheduled fee last year. I imagine it was the same as any number of test that are run on a PCR machine. As far as I know, there's nothing special about the test that would yield a 400% increase. If you read the article I linked above, no one seems to be making an argument that the covid test is more expensive to run. It's a straight up shake-down by the pathologists.
If anything, economy's of scale should bring down the cost for pathology labs.
@salmon123: Firstly, I don’t think the $100 test is fitting.
Secondly, it doesn’t matter what I think coz I don’t know shit, but I suspect nor do you.
Thirdly, blind Freddie can see these tests are more expensive to conduct, you don’t need an article to tell you, if you did your killing your own credibility. How do I know, just look at the PPE staff are required to wear, all that stuff has gone through the roof in cost, look at the processes put in place to satisfy haealth officials that it’s all been done safely, that extra process is a cost born somewhere. That’s just the start of what my eye can see.
Imagine if you’re a person doing the grunt work, wanna work within 1inch of someone who Has civic symptoms for 8 hours? I’m sure they are being paid more than usual.
Is all that worth an extra $75 a pop. I dunno, but you claim to know a lot, so I kindly ask, can you show me some pointers
How do I know, just look at the PPE staff are required to wear
Lol - I don't know about other states, but in NSW, the vast majority of samples are collected at government facilities (drive through clinics, hospital based clinics, etc) and then sent off to the a network of public and private laboratories for analysis. The $100 is the pathologists fee. It doesn't include sample collection - that's being funded by the states. Most other tests, the lab would be responsible for sample collection, so now that you mention it, it's probably a cheaper for the lab to run a covid test.
I know there are some GP clinics offering covid testing, but it's pretty limited. I suspect it's also the state health departments picking up the tab for collecting these samples.
Imagine if you’re a person doing the grunt work, wanna work within 1inch of someone who Has civic symptoms for 8 hours? I’m sure they are being paid more than usual.
Again, that's all the sample collection, being paid for by the state government (at least in NSW).
but I suspect nor do you.
Sounds like I know a bit more than you.
@salmon123: You do sound like you know a bit more, but your own article you link contradicts what you say. So again, I find you hard to believe.
Here is the relevant quote
“ However the $24.40 rebate for each test, which was based on a similar pathology item on the Medicare Benefits Schedule that had not been adjusted for 20 years, was less than the cost of the reagent required for the test.
With the cost of personal protective equipment, nasal swabs and other COVID-related medical supplies skyrocketing because of global demand, private pathology companies stood to lose between $50 and $60 on every test”
Family member has had a similar issue with tests a few years ago. There can be an issue where the original testing place either doesn't bulk bill, or made a mistake with the bulk billing. The bill chased her for ages as she didn't know how to get it resolved and was told it was a mistake.
The way the medical system works is that when you go to your GP and don't pay anything what actually happens is they bill the government directly. They charge an amount that the government will pay them under the current medicare rates. They could charge the same amount, you pay on the day but then you have to send the bill to medicare who will pay you back.
The fact that
Got a Covid Test as per normal @ a Blacktown (NSW) Pathology recommended by the GP. As far as I know, no cost is involved.
can be a bit tricky. What you'll need to make sure of in the future is that the pathology bulk bills, and that you give them your medicare details so they can bulk bill for you.
I would get onto it ASAP, contact the pathology and work it out. Could be as simple as giving the pathology your medicare details and getting them to put it through their system to bulk bill.
If you get speak to the accounts section and give them your Medicare details it will probably be bulk billed. They might need you to sign something. There is a section of the pathology form where you sign to enable them to bill Medicare for the test and often if unsigned they post the bill to you.
did you provide your medicare card?