Massage Palours in the SMH again today

[B-man]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/medicare-clamping-down-on-remedial-massage-parlours-offering-rebates-for-sex-services-20131123-2y2m7.html

I like how this one Remedial Massage place has to but a grill on the door to stop the 'breathless men' from asking her questions.....

''I now have a grille door to protect myself, which is locked all the time. Breathless men knock on my door asking for a body-to-body massage. My clinic phone is diverted to my home after hours and I receive phone calls at two and three in the morning. I said to one of these callers, 'Have you not seen my website? How can you possibly misconstrue what I do?' He replied: 'Yes, but you remedial massage centres never advertise extras, do you?'''

[Oneonone]

Well I must admit I think that its only right that if you want more than a remedial massage that you pay for it not medicare.

[rooter]

Dammit, I need to switch from my crappy health cover to Medibank Private !
All I get is free Yoga classes!

[vvillie]

I believe people were claiming through their private health insurance, and not Medicare. Regardless, I agree with you, though I'm not sure how many punts a person would be able to claim annually. One, two at most I suppose? I know It all adds up, but the article makes it out like it's an epidemic or something.

[CunningLinguist]

There has been discussion of members doing this in the forum before. I have never done it and I actually agree with Duff about this.
I don't want to be subsidising punters happy endings from my health insurance premiums.

[Licker]

I believe people were claiming through their private health insurance, and not Medicare. Regardless, I agree with you, though I'm not sure how many punts a person would be able to claim annually. One, two at most I suppose? I know It all adds up, but the article makes it out like it's an epidemic or something.

I totally agree! Sensational reporting Duff style!

Don't get me wrong, I don't think medicare or 'extras' package of a medical insurance should be used for HE (however fittingly named).
Even though a buildup of excess protein can cause medical problems.

On the article itself:

The article gives the impression (to the general public) that most massage parlours are misusing the medical insurance rebate.
That impression is given via the two sentences below, that are written in a way that that imply this connection, but also gives plausible deniability if questioned in detail.


After an investigation spanning almost a year, government-owned Medibank Private has cancelled at least 30 service provider registrations nationally, finding some of its affiliated therapists were in fact prostitutes subsidising sex under the guise of ''remedial massage''.

Last week, Fairfax Media revealed there were at least 34 illegal brothels operating within a five-kilometre radius on Sydney's north shore - the majority of which were disguised as remedial health clinics.

The keywords here are:
30 nationally, which in my opinion is reasonably low rate of misuse of the rebate, considering that it's the whole of Australia.
But by linking it to the last weeks article the smh gives the impression that some (or most) of them are among those identified by Medibank, even though there is no proof of that any of them are doing so. (the one mention quoted from aux, is not on the North Shore)

some, which could mean that all of those at least 30 affiliated therapists were in fact prostitutes.
Or it could mean that some of them were, but some just didn't have a proper accredited massage therapist giving all the treatments.
As a rebate should not be given in a situation where the treatment was not given by an accredited massage therapist, regardless whether there was a HE or whether it was just a shoulder massage.

[AHLUNGOR]

Well it was on the front page of the Sun Herald and page 8 inside!

But again , it was a bite of irresponsible journalism and twisting the facts!

It made the health funds rebate sounds like giving the punters free sex - as per the title on the paper !

But the fact is, for the $20/$25 rebate per session, the punters were in fact getting a massage and nothing sexual !

A HJ will be extra $20 which is not claimable , a nude HJ $50 and sex generally is extra $100. Which all have nothing to do with the health rebate ! If only he should get his facts right !!

Unless he only visited Newtown and got a free handy !! But I don't think 501 had rebates anyway......lol

Just my two cents

[wilisno]

It made the health funds rebate sounds like giving the punters free sex - as per the title on the paper !

But the fact is, for the $20/$25 rebate per session, the punters were in fact getting a massage and nothing sexual !

A HJ will be extra $20 which is not claimable , a nude HJ $50 and sex generally is extra $100. Which all have nothing to do with the health rebate ! If only he should get his facts right !!



Without getting the facts right, he's already helping the RnT industry to generate a lot more new and curious customers. If he's got the facts right, people become aware that it's a legitimate claim, then the Medibank membership number will go through the roof too ! :miao:

[vvillie]

Lol, right off the bat he claims that punters are getting 'extraordinary' cash bonuses by claiming sex services on health insurance. I am not sure if he is trying to imply that parlor operators are handing out these bonuses, but i doubt the majority of policy holders would call a $25 rebate from a health care fund 'extraordinary'.

[aussiegaigin]

My local shopping centre has a large "Remedial Massage Centre" in a prominent position.

It does offer health fund rebates, but has a separate set of staff (presumably HF accredited) for qualifying treatment. They offer non rebate massage at a cheaper price, with a bevy of attractive young girls, but I have not tried this service.

[Travelmate]

$25 is nothing these days, journalists are chasing their tails with this one.
The same thing will happen a few fines here and there and any closing of shops will reopen in a few days.
All wasting the tax payers $$

This has been happened in Chatswod last year and few massage shops has been closed.
The fact is there are more massage shops this year than last year.

[Punter Poontang]

The Eamon Duff school of journalism:

1 - Learn that sex sells
2 - ???????
3 - Profit

What a shitcunt.

[aussiegaigin]

This weekend Duff has discovered that some massage shops have been "giving punters free sex" by allowing them to claim health fund rebates on their massage sessions. An estmated 30 shops (out of probably thousands) were allegedly providing sexual services and allowing the customers to claim.

Of course if Duff had actually been reading these forums, he would have been aware that the fees charged would have been for the massage, and that the "sexual services" were a separate deal between the customer and the girl and had nothing to do with the h/f claim.

[wilisno]

Of course if Duff had actually been reading these forums, he would have been aware that the fees charged would have been for the massage, and that the "sexual services" were a separate deal between the customer and the client and had nothing to do with the h/f claim.
Yep, so the rebate claims are still legitimate !

[CunningLinguist]

Duff is out to make a name for himself, he knows that sex sells and how to twist the facts and distort things, he is gonna go far in this life, I can see him becoming a shock jock or TV personality. If he wants to make the really big time he should go to the USA, but he needs to prove himself here first...

[Licker]

Duff is out to make a name for himself, he knows that sex sells and how to twist the facts and distort things, he is gonna go far in this life, I can see him becoming a shock jock or TV personality. If he wants to make the really big time he should go to the USA, but he needs to prove himself here first...

No, he's not going to US.

He's aiming for Canberra, where lying and backstabbing is a requirement.

[Strayer Mate]

uh haaa! ... so Craig Thomson is innocent after all.....

[aussiegaigin]

The article starts off detailing how some shops seek to rort the rebate by pretending to be legitimate remedial massage practitioners when they're actually just there to provide sexual services. That's fraud, which is illegal and something I doubt anyone would dispute.

These shops may well provide remedial massage to those wanting it. There would be fairly strict standards to meet to become an approved provider. The fact that "sexual services" might ALSO be provided could be classed as irrelevant as that service is generally provided by the girl directly, not the shop. Also the rebate is a fixed amount per session, it is not calculated on the time taken or the amount paid; so as long as some legit massage is provided there would be no fraud.

Providing sexual services as an add on should be seen in the same light as the shop selling vitamin supplements or therapeutic accessories - the shop is not masquerading as a pharmacy.

[B-man]

The thing that shits me is the article outlines these places as brothels (or implies they are) which are clearly not.

[grant]

These shops may well provide remedial massage to those wanting it. There would be fairly strict standards to meet to become an approved provider. The fact that "sexual services" might ALSO be provided could be classed as irrelevant as that service is generally provided by the girl directly, not the shop. Also the rebate is a fixed amount per session, it is not calculated on the time taken or the amount paid; so as long as some legit massage is provided there would be no fraud.

Agreed, there could be shops which actually do provide legit services (both accredited and not) that may also provide sexual services (with or without the knowledge of management). Your point about the girl providing the extra relief doesn't hold, as the implication that I'm getting from you is that a situation where someone offers sexual services without the knowledge of management, is irrelevant because of this fact. If an inspector goes undercover, and is offered services beyond a massage, it's the shop that takes the flak, regardless of whether they are ignorant of it, turn a blind eye to it, or actively encourage it.

I also agree that if some legit massage is going on, a rebate would be fine, regardless of whether or not anything else may have transpired. Legitimate business must be recorded for the rebate to be used, and I'm sure that anything beyond that goes undocumented. The minor issue here is that if you're provided sexual services at all, your place of business is classified as a brothel, and if you do not have permission to operate, you're illegally providing services (see here for a formal definition: http://anonym.to/http://www.swop.org.au/the-law/brothels-or-sex-services-premises).

The subjects of the article are those businesses that fit well into the illegitimate end of the scale: those businesses which seem to offer remedial massage services as a front for men to visit and blow a load. I hope you can agree that this is fraud. Ever received a massage from someone who was really bad at massage, but still had you leave with the corners of your mouth stapled to your ears? Ever claimed a rebate on that session? Do you think private healthcare fees should subsidise the busting of your nut? What if medicare had provisions for a remedial massage rebate and tax dollars were involved?

So yes, legit shops may dabble in a little something on the side, but if they're accredited and have employees who are trained, they're not really the ones that insurance companies would be targeting for blacklisting. It's the "massage" shops with the flashing neon signage and back entrances that they see are the problem. And let's be honest, we're here because we're looking to bust a nut; a competent massage is a bonus (a happy preface, if you will).


The thing that shits me is the article outlines these places as brothels (or implies they are) which are clearly not.

See above. Any premises which offer sexual services (including handjobs) are classified as brothels and can only operate with permission from local council

[Licker]

Please note that the article states that Medibank has identified 30 provides nationally (in all of Australia).
Is this really an issue that rewards front page news?
Medibank is dealing with the issue already.

The purpose of the article is something totally different than the use of health insurance rebate.