Victorian Surgeons Investigated for Alleged Fraudulent TAC Billing Practices

IBAC probes claims of inflated charges and unethical practices at Royal Melbourne HospitalTransport Accident Commission patients.

• The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is investigating allegations that surgeons at Royal Melbourne Hospital billed the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for procedures they did not perform.
• Sources claim surgeons ran multiple operating rooms simultaneously, relying on registrars while falsely claiming to have conducted surgeries themselves to secure higher TAC reimbursements.
• Allegations include fraudulent claims for assistant surgeon fees and prioritizing lucrative TAC patients over public patients awaiting urgent care.
• Internal investigations in 2021 flagged discrepancies in hospital records and billing, with evidence of doctored operation reports and deleted item numbers from patient records.
• Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas called the allegations a potential breach of public trust, while the TAC and hospital declined to comment on ongoing investigations.

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