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Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Page: 3771

Superclinics

(Question No. 195)

Dr Southcott asked the Minister for Health and Ageing, in writing, on 21 February 2011:

(1) Without identifying any individual medical practices or any individual medical practitioner, how many Medicare provider numbers have been issued in total to the (a) eight GP Super Clinics which are operational, (b) remaining 28 GP Super Clinics from 2007-08 election commitments which are not yet operational, and (c) 28 GP Super Clinics which are 2010-11 commitments.

(2) How many of the provider numbers in part (1) have been issued to medical practitioners who are recognised as general practitioners by Medicare Australia.

(3) How many services have been billed to Medicare against the provider numbers in (a) part (1), and (b) part (2).

Ms Roxon: The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) The GP Super Clinics Program does not collect this information. The Australian Government does not own or operate GP Super Clinics and recruitment and engagement of service providers is the responsibility of the owner/operator of each clinic. Provider number registration is therefore a matter for the owner/operator and the individual health professionals.

(2) Refer to (1) above.

(3) Refer to (1) above. Under the GP Super Clinics Program, self reported data is collected on patient presentations to GPs and allied health professionals. This data is not collected on the basis of Medicare/non-Medicare services. This reflects more completely the multidisciplinary nature of the services being provided in GP Super Clinics, some of which are not Medicare eligible services.