Medicare audits and subsequent referrals to the Professional Services Review (PSR) are now a fact of life.
During Professor Julie Quinlivan’s tenure as Director of the PSR, referral rates and successful “prosecution” rates against doctors sat at virtually 100%. For years, the process felt insurmountable. Practitioners were left feeling that tribunal decisions were predetermined, regardless of the clinical realities they faced on the ground. As medical professionals, we must deeply understand the implications of a Medicare audit. But more importantly, we must understand our rights as enshrined by Australian legislation.
On December 19, 2025, the legal landscape shifted entirely. The Supreme Court of Queensland ruled that the former PSR Director committed misfeasance in public office, acting with “reckless indifference” by referring a doctor to a committee without affording him natural justice. The doctor was awarded nearly $2 million in damages. The precedent has been set: the PSR is not above the law, and you have the right to a rigorous, procedural defense.
To ensure the Cairns medical community is fully prepared for this new reality, I am organizing an exclusive briefing. We will be joined by two of Australia’s most experienced Medicare and PSR legal counsels to dissect the Kitchen v Quinlivan judgment. They will outline exactly what this means for your daily billing, your clinical notes, and your legal strategy should a targeted letter arrive on your desk.
Dr Damien Foong
MBBS(QLD) Master Medicine (Skin Cancer-UQ). Fellow (Skin Cancer College) FSCCA.
FACSCM APA. APP. Past President Skin Cancer College – 2 terms. Independent
Professional Services Review (PSR) Consultant 2000 – 2005. Independent Court Expert to Avant, MDA National and MIPs.
Date: Saturday 13 June 2026.
Time: 10am – 2pm
Venue: To be Announced
Lunch and refreshments provided.
Numbers are strictly limited to 20. Please register using email: meeting@edmontonskin.com.au