Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Answers to Questions Health Care for Immigrants HEALTH CARE FOR IMMIGRANTS The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON Legislative Council HEALTH CARE FOR IMMIGRANTS In reply to the Hon. A. BRESSINGTON (7 April 2011). The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling HEALTH CARE FOR IMMIGRANTS The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling): The Minister for Health has advised: 1.	A patient is not identified within hospital data on the basis of type of visa held. For this reason, it is not possible to provide this information. 2.	This is a matter for the Commonwealth Government, and I suggest the Honourable Member contact the Commonwealth Minister for Immigration and Citizenship about this matter. 3.	The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, on behalf of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, undertook a consultation specifically on the development of minimum private health insurance requirements under subclass 457 visas in early 2009. 4.	State and Territory Ministers wrote to the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing in early 2011 asking that the Minister write to the Commonwealth Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on their behalf to seek a solution to this matter. The Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing has since written to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. 5.	Information about debts to public hospitals incurred by non-Medicare eligible patients who are holding a temporary visa, without private health insurance, in South Australia is not routinely collected and held in any central data system.