The boy's plight was brought to the Mail-Times' attention as one of several complaints received on Friday about Dorevitch Pathology's decision to stop bulk billing in Horsham without warning.

Jaidyn McClure's grandfather David Emslie received the bill at his Horsham home on Thursday because Jaidyn and his mother Casey James have moved to Queensland.

Mr Emslie said he was shocked to see such a large bill for Jaidyn's four simple blood tests taken on June 22.

``First the bill should have been addressed to his mother, and she should never have been billed at all. She has a health care card and the doctor ticked for her to be bulk billed,'' Mr Emslie said.

``I rang Dorevitch Pathology's accounts number in Melbourne and the woman told me if we didn't pay the bill it would be in the hands of the debt collectors.

``What are they going to do, repossess a six-year-old's toys?''

Horsham pensioner Jeanette King also received a bill last week for $176, even though she had shown her pension card and filled out Medicare forms to be bulk billed.

Mrs King said she had asked Dorevitch Pathology for answers.

``The woman I spoke to in Melbourne was rude and told me to just go to Medicare. I am a pensioner and I have time to look into it, but I know other people have been billed when they shouldn't have been and they are too busy to fight and will pay. It's not right what they are doing. They did not tell anyone they were going to stop bulk billing,'' she said.

In May 2008 Dorevitch Pathology announced it would begin to bulk bill all Horsham patients because the company understood the economic toll the drought was taking on the Wimmera.

Dorevitch Pathology then lost the tender at Wimmera Base Hospital in May this year.

It is in the process of transitioning the pathology service to tender winners, St John of God Pathology.

St John of God Pathology business development co-ordinator Andrew Shaw said his company would look to bring back bulk billing when the transition period was over.

``I think what Dorevitch Pathology has done is regrettable and it isn't how we would have handled the situation,'' Mr Shaw said.

``We will look at bulk billing and any decision will be made with more sensitivity than Dorevitch has shown.''

The Mail-Times contacted Dorevitch Pathology on Friday. The company said it would investigate the issues and deliver a response on Monday afternoon.

The Mail-Times will publish Dorevitch's response in Wednesday's edition.