MEDICARE BILLING

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (15:18): My question is again to the Minister for Health. Have doctors providing services at state government hospitals expressed concerns about their Medicare provider numbers being used to bill the commonwealth for patient services and, if so, how many doctors and which professional associations have expressed their concerns and when?

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Waite; that's better.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (15:19): It is true that a number of doctors have expressed some concerns and raised issues, and on the first question you asked me about this I went through the details of that. They have expressed some concerns and the health department has sought to assure them by publishing a comprehensive statement of what the facts are as we know them, the tax advice we have had and the legal advice we have had. As to the number and the organisations, I have been at meetings in hospitals where doctors have got up and expressed their concerns but I cannot recall exactly the names of the doctors. If I can get some further advice from the member I am happy to do so.