Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, how many staff are budgeted to be employed in the first operating year of the independent Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the National Health Performance Authority, the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority and the National Funding Authority? Further, could the minister advise how many patients are budgeted to receive a lower rebate for a GP mental health plan under the Better Access program for 2011-12. When will the first EPPIC be operational? How many of the EPPICs announced in the 2010 budget are operational and how many have commenced construction? What proportion of funding will be provided by the Commonwealth for each EPPIC? And, finally, why does the minister consider a GP mental health plan is worth less in terms of a Medicare rebate than a GP management plan that assists patients with physical chronic health conditions?

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