Warrnambool podiatrist push for change on Medicare

Warrnambool Podiatry Group owner and director Andrea Fulton said podiatric surgeons, specialist podiatrists trained to do surgical procedures, did not have access to Medicare for the cost of surgery and associated services.

She said it was a really poor situation for clients, many of whom were elderly, suffered chronic health conditions such as diabetes or were disadvantaged.

"This leaves many locals facing medical bills in the thousands with low capacity to pay," she said.

The practice has joined the call for the federal government to include podiatric surgery as part of the Medicare Benefits Scheme.

Ms Fulton has written to Wannon MP Dan Tehan and Federal Health Minister Mark Butler about the growing problem.

She said about 80 per cent of podiatric surgery patients either did not have private health insurance or were not covered by a fund that paid benefits for podiatric surgery.

"This means they must pay the full cost of surgery, which can run into the thousands when you include all the associated expenses - and that is only for a single surgery," Ms Fulton said.

"Demand for podiatric surgery has increased 42 per cent in the last 10 years and wait times are blowing out.

"Our clinic is overrun with booking requests with our four podiatrists flat out."

She said podiatrists had been lobbying for a long time to bring change.

"For some reason they government hasn't bridged that gap," she said.

Ms Fulton said the specialised podiatric surgeons could be taking more pressure off the public health system.

"People are otherwise going on long waiting lists waiting for public health," she said.

Ms Fulton said waiting for surgery could escalate the issue into something much bigger.

"I've had people that have had to wait months and months and the condition has become more chronic than it needed to be which then means more services are needed for rehab," she said.

Ms Fulton said granting medicare rights could draw podiatric specialists to Warrnambool rather than patients having to go to the city for surgery.

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