Teresa Gambaro (Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank all of the members who have made an enormous contribution to this debate. On behalf of the government, I acknowledge the opposition’s support for the Health Insurance Amendment (Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation) Bill 2007. This bill establishes a framework under Medicare for the introduction of an accreditation scheme for practices involving diagnostic imaging services covered by the Radiology Quality and Outlays Memorandum of Understanding. It is clear—to put it on the record—that it is really about eligibility for Medicare and not the detail of the accreditation scheme itself. That is a separate process. I just wanted to highlight that because it was mentioned by members opposite.

Billing Medicare is a privilege; it is not a right, and patients should have timely access to high-quality radiology services. The public deserves to be assured that practices provide high-quality services. From 1 July next year, accreditation against objective but realistic standards will therefore become an eligibility requirement for receiving Medicare benefits in respect of diagnostic imaging services. Pushing for accreditation is not a reflection on the quality of services as they are being provided now, but with accreditation the government and the community can be assured that the 12 million or so diagnostic imaging services supported by Medicare annually are being provided by organisations and that they are being performed against specified standards—that the over $1.2 billion taxpayer funded investment in those services is being used well.

Accreditation also adds a further quality dimension to those areas where specific Medicare billing rights are granted. This particularly relates to the allocation of Medicare licences for magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, machines. I am sure the members opposite are very interested in this. For diagnostic imaging practices and providers, accreditation will provide more assurance that their practice can support the delivery of high-quality services to patients, and it will impose a discipline on them to ensure that they and their services stay up to the mark when it comes to excellence. Patients can also have greater confidence in services that they need and the way in which they are provided.

The transitional arrangements in the bill will ensure that existing practices will have ample time to prepare for accreditation and will not lose out if they do not have accreditation by 1 July next year. The bill also includes a mechanism to ensure that, should they not become accredited or should lose their accreditation, any such decisions will also be subjected to an independent review. No-one will lose access to Medicare without a full and fair process. The government is working closely with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association, the relevant industry body, to develop a scheme that is practical and workable and will minimise the cost to practices, whether these be large, comprehensive diagnostic imaging businesses or small single-provider services. I stress strongly, though, that we are not setting the standards themselves; rather, we are leaving that to the experts. I can assure the opposition that there has been and is a process involving extensive consultation. The explanatory memorandum lists the wide range of bodies and groups who have been consulted in that process.

But getting the right balance between high standards and giving the community confidence—and also the realistic implementation of and compliance with those standards—is not a straightforward task. The government is aware that there are robust discussions going on right now between the college and the industry on such related matters. While appreciating their commitment, we trust that they will be able to work with goodwill in the public interest and reach an agreement on the nature and the structure of the practical accreditation regime. On behalf of the government and the Minister for Health and Ageing, I restate our willingness to give the college and the industry every assistance in ensuring that the 1 July 2008 commencement date is honoured. We want the parties to reach agreement on the standards regime in the near future so that the necessary planning and implementation arrangements are completed in good time—and the public expects as much. I therefore commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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