Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 6 August 2012:

1) How many payments, involving reparation of any kind for child sexual abuse, have been made since 1996 involving Medicare and/or the Health Insurance Commission.

2) What is the total amount of these payments.

3) Was any other entity involved in the payments or agreements leading to payments; if so, who and what proportion of the payments did such entities pay.

4) Did any of the payments involve secrecy agreements; if so, were any such agreements ever a condition of the payments.

5) Did any payments involve waivers of the right to make any future claims.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Health has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

Medicare benefits are paid for a range of clinical services that may be relevant to the treatment of the health consequences of child sexual abuse including general practitioner, psychiatry and psychology services. Neither the Department of Health and Ageing or the Department of Human Services record information about the cause of the health problem that led to the need for the Medicare funded service. Hence no data are available. There are provisions under state and territory legislation that mandate notification of child sexual abuse to child protection authorities.