Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for her contribution, and on behalf of the government I acknowledged the opposition’s support for the Health Insurance Amendment (Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation) Bill 2009, which will make amendments to the Health Insurance Amendment (Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation) Act 2007 to broaden the scope of the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme. The bill, as Senator Fierravanti-Wells said, establishes the transitional arrangements for existing diagnostic imaging practices, providing non-radiology services or a combination of non-radiology and radiology services that are not accredited under the scheme to enter stage 2 of the scheme on 1 July this year. These arrangements will enable non-radiology practices to transit into stage 2 of the scheme with minimal disruption to their business of providing Medicare eligible diagnostic imaging services to patients.