Only safe road

Each year I attend the doctor’s surgery for a driver’s medical with the Department of Transport forms in hand.

This is a medical fitness exam requested by the State Government to maintain my driver’s licence. Medicare does not cover the doctor’s bill so I pay full cost of $77 and GST has to be charged.

The doctor then sends the forms directly to the department.

All 80-year-old drivers are of pension age. Will they pay the full cost to obtain the annual fitness endorsement to hold a driver’s licence?

In my opinion, doctors are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they bulk bill a Medicare visit that is free of GST this perhaps creates a possible situation for Medicare/tax fraud with doctors colluding with pensioners.

The only safe way for doctors to save their careers is to charge a full price for the medical examination.

Sorry, while an annual medical for drivers over 80 seems a good idea, a simplified annual drivers test subsidised by the State Government would have been a cheaper option and not involving Medicare and the tax office.