Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

The purpose of the bill is to remove age restrictions from the cleft scheme, an important amendment in its own right, rather than propose new MBS items. For this reason, the government will not be supporting the proposed requests for amendments. There is a separate process already underway to consider expanding allied health speech services for patients with serious speech language disorders following recommendations from the MBS primary care task force. This will allow the normal due process for consideration of MBS amendments, including a consultation process with the sector to settle implementation details, such as appropriate eligibility, definitions, numbers of sessions and required fees, consultation with the Medical Services Advisory Committee, MSAC, and consideration of financial implications in our budget process.

I understand the process of consultation and engagement with the sector is well underway, and there are also separate MBS benefits currently available for allied health services, including speech pathology for patients under chronic disease management and team care arrangements initiated by general practitioners. Cleft patients maybe be able to access these services. Eligible patients can access up to five MBS related allied health services per year via these arrangements. States may also provide public speech therapy services. So, for these reasons, as I've outlined, we will not be supporting the requests for amendments on sheet 1922.