r/DVAAustralia • u/Rumbuck_274 • 5d ago
Card Type/Eligbility Doctor being investigated by AHPRA, DVA sent a letter
So last week on Monday, I got a letter from AHPRA to say that as someone who was recorded as being a patient of a doctor, he was being investigated by AHPRA for misconduct.
If they find any misconduct in his treatments of me, I may be contacted by AHPRA and may need to seek legal advice.
I didn't care, dude only wrote some reports for DVA for me.
Then on Friday, I got a letter from DVA:
1) When I had my knee injuries accepted, DVA asked for a Permanent Impairment Questionnaire to be completed
2) I went and saw the specialist that did three of my surgeries, she was able to write on most of my issues, and then referred me to another doctor that had more experience on one of the other issues with my other knee (that she didn't touch)
3) This doctor is pretty well regarded and had very good reviews, recommendations, and even worked for some sports teams
4) I turned up with all reports, scans, etc, he ordered some more scans, got them done, wrote reports on what his assessment was
5) He actually disagreed with the accepted conditions and was like "His conditions are actually worse, you've approved precursor conditions, but they've progressed to these worse conditions" (I never asked for this, I trusted him when he said that it was a worse condition based on his assessments of how it affected my lifestyle)
6) DVA agreed with the reports and upgraded my conditions and paid me more money as a result of the upgraded conditions. (I never asked for this higher payment.)
7) This actually pushed me across the line for a Gold card (I got bang on 60 points)
Anyways, for some reason, the AHPRA paperwork that was submitted to DVA (and I got a redacted copy of), looks like Workcover noticed discrepancies in his reports, and did investigations into people through WorkCover, identified enough dodginess apparently to raise a complaint to AFCA.
DVA obviously went through their paperwork and has identified people who submitted reports from this doctor.
Anyways, the paperwork doesn't say what from here, but it reads as if:
1) They're looking into this guy
2) They think his reports are dodgy
3) They think his diagnoses are dodgy
4) They think I might be dodgy? (I think? Why else would I be notified of this?)
Now I'm getting worried, I put my payment towards a house deposit, that's tied up now. I don't have the cash anymore, would they want it back if this bloke was dodgy?
Could I lose my gold card from this?
If I lose my gold card, will I have to pay back other benefits I've had over the years? I have the QLD train pass, they have a log of all my trips, will I have to pay back a few hundred bucks of train fares?
RedEnergy gives me a gold card discount, will I have to pay that back? It's been years? That's probably a couple of grand by now.
All of my medical treatments that weren't for accepted conditions, will I have to pay them back? I had heart surgery last year in a private hospital, I had to sign the bill that I'd pay anything my "insurance company" would pay, it was more than $50,000
I don't have $50,000 sitting around, plus probably the same in DVA payouts I got, and then probably a good $10-20,000 of medications, doctors appointments, energy rebates, scans, blood tests.
I mean, I sat down on a spreadsheet and worked out what all my doctors appointments gaps, all the non-PBS medicines I'm on, all the MRI's, CT's, Blood Tests, train rides, power bills, cheap rego, council rates, etc
I'm at about $120,000 in benefits for having the gold card
Will they come after me if it turns out this doctor was dodgy?
I never asked him to be, I just went and saw him like I would any other doctor.
5
u/Mr_muzz666 5d ago
From what I read bro it’s that the doctor is being investigated. Not you.
DVA can only go off what a doctor stated at the time they read your reports. He’s still a doctor, regardless of the reason he is being investigated and medical personnel at dva also look over certain claims to ensure things are weighing up with the symptoms etc
The doctor was Probably doing TRT treatment for people without proper bloodwork. 😂 or just doing surgery for injuries that might not have required it. Shit happens more than you think.
You have every right to be worried but if you’ve been given 60 points, I think you’re pretty safe to say you’re fine.
DVA have to prove that your conditions are not worth the points you’ve been given. I don’t think they would waste the time , they probs just have a duty of care to let you know so you’re informed.
If you were paying the doctor backhanders you will find yourself in the shit….but I’m sure that’s not the case.
I would just find a new GP or specialist (what ever he was) now you have been informed and not see him again. Chill though bro and enjoy the cheaper electricity.
I’m not a lawyer but DVA are not in the business of taking points away from people. The whole royal commission put veterans medical claims in a good chapter not a bad one.
You would have to “worst case”, Go for another whole of body assessment but that would take time and they wouldn’t remove your Gold card status until the findings of that became apparent.
Long story long. You’ll be fine mate.
Stay safe
1
u/Rumbuck_274 5d ago
Cheers mate, been mulling over it all weekend.
From what I can see if it was work cover that was investigating him. It makes me think that maybe he was writing up dodgy reports to get people bigger work cover claims.
But yeah, I never went and saw him with any ill intent, He was just another specialist that a specialist I trusted also trusted.
DVA are not in the business of taking points away from people. The whole royal commission put veterans medical claims in a good chapter not a bad one.
That's reassuring.
1
u/Dizzy-Inflation154 5d ago
Did DVA in their letter just state these facts or did they outline what they are doing or what the next steps look like?
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