VETERANS could face health care discrimination unless the Federal Government bridges the gap on rebates.
One Loddon medical clinic says the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will now only refund veterans the full rebate amount for their first visit.
Inglewood’s Adrienne Mackintosh has held a DVA Gold Card since the death of her Vietnam veteran husband in 2001.
Adrienne first experienced the new rebate system when visiting Marong Medical Centre in Inglewood.
Her advocacy has since seen the clinic bulk bill Gold Card patients but she wants the Government to remove the anomaly between DVA and Medicare rebates.
“Gold Cards are given discerningly, in appreciation of extreme service for fighting for your country and often passed on to the widow or widower,” she said.
“When being awarded, recipients were informed they would not have to pay anything (for health care).”
Marong Medical Centre has now decided to continue bulk billing of DVA patients  but fears that may not be sustainable in the long term.
“(We) fervently hope that DVA does not discriminate against our veterans, as compared to regular Medicare patients. Our practice has decided to try and wear this loss, but with current general practice rebates, and the  Medicare freeze  having caused us to already have our backs to the wall, we do wonder how we will be able to keep wearing these losses in the long term,” the centre said.
Marong Medical Centre said medical practices in the area had extensive conversations around adding a “gap fee”.
“We took this hard decision in April 2023, and were one of the last private practices in the region to do so.
“We have been in discussions with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and were informed that medical practices can charge DVA patients private fees.  
“We have since found out DVA will not refund the veterans the rebate amount, like Medicare does, except for their first visit.
“This led to DVA card holders not being rebated by DVA , except for the one visit.
“Once we were told this, we took a decision to bulk bill our DVA card holders for the near future, and are now hoping for more clarification around rebates for patients, promised in November. 
“This has been done as a mark of respect for our veterans, and we are unable to understand why while Medicare rebates patients, DVA does not.” 
Mallee MP Anne Webster said the Government needed to refocus on the priority issues for Australians such as the cost of living crisis which was having a major impact on the veterans’ community.
“The Government has become so preoccupied with peripheral issues such as the Voice, and have taken their eye of the ball when it comes to escalating costs, and cuts in services,” she said.
“The Government has said they will be releasing draft legislation later this year that is a direct result of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, established and funded by the previous Coalition Government. While that bill is an opportunity to reform rebates, the Government is able to act now and address the level of rebates provided to medical providers.
“This issue needs urgent attention. The Government needs to stop its dilly-dallying and refocus on the issues that matter to our local communities.”
She questions had been  lodged seeking answers from the government about which providers are having to withdraw or scale-back veteran services because of the insufficient rebate – and where they are located. “As of last week, the government was yet to provide detailed answers.”
Ms Mackintosh said the gesture of Marong Medical Centre was appreciated but called on the Government to better honour veterans and end the anomaly between Gold Card and Medicare rebates that had caused distress to Gold Card holders.