Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 7:15:48 to 7:22:01
Senator Pocock questions the exclusive contract with Bupa for onshore migrant health checks, the revenue generated by the provider, and the clinical governance rationale for using a single provider.
Topics: Health, Procurement
Speakers: Speaker 41, Senator David Pocock, Michael Willard, Unknown Speaker, Andrew Kiley
refugees, a whole range of people arriving in Australia.
Dr. Pegg.
Is it just BUPA that does these health checks? So good afternoon, Senator Grant Pegg, Chief Medical Officer. So on shore, yes. And why is it just BUPA? So there's been long-standing arrangements with the Department to have a single provider to do that. Certainly from my perspective and from a gov clinical governance perspective, having a single provider means you can achieve a certain level of consistency No, so the way the way the contract works is that they charge the applicant for the health assessment. And how much do they how much do they make a year? What's their revenue from this? I don't have that detail with me, Senator. I have to take that notice. Okay. Do you know ballpark? Okay. And how do they set their fees? So it's um it's codified in the contract, and then there's key performance measures that um that we assess them against each year to determine whether or not they can increase during life the contract. Okay. And so home affairs has no contracts with them. We don't pay them any money, they just get to charge. That's there is there is a contract, but it's not it's not a contract where the department pays pays the provider any fee. Um I remember getting a health check when we moved to Australia, and you obviously pay for that yourself. But are there any cohorts where the government assists with the payment?
Uh that might have to be set a question for some other colleagues.
Senator Humanitarian caseload, if you're talking about people moving to Australia within the assisted passage program, there's um health checks provided for that caseload.
So the humanitarian cohort. Um booper do theirs as well.
No, overseas, it's a it's a different set of arrangements, but that we have what's called panel doctors who do the checks. Um and Dr. Pegg could could talk more about overseas how that works.
So it's before people arrive here.
Yeah, so this is this is people before they come to Australia. The health check they do before they're granted their visa.
What about what about um people who are being assessed on shore for a humanitarian visa?
Uh there in the um where a medical is required, then they go to BOOPA.
And they have to pay that.
Uh Senator, I'm not completely certain on whether there's any circumstances where they don't have to pay, so I might have to take that on notice.
Okay. Has the Department of Home Affairs ever denied protection from someone with a well-founded fear of persecution on health grounds? Does that happen?
Uh no, I don't think that's uh ground. But Mr. Cowley might be able to assist.
Um what's the If that's not a grounds for refusal, why are we shoveling this money to BUPA?
In that visa process, but there's a health check, so we understand the health needs of the individual before they arrive in Australia for onshore protection visas. My understanding is that there is not a health check, but I'll correct the record on that if that's incorrect.
That would um that would be good. Um I just wanted to check one example. Um I heard about a person seeking asylum who is experiencing homelessness and was admitted to Sydney based hospital and was invited to undertake their visa health checks by the Department of Home Affairs. Um they weren't allowed to undertake these health checks in the hospital. They had to go to BUPA. What why is that the case? Surely a hospital is fairly well placed to do a health check?
Senator, I'd have have to look at the particular circumstances, but but if you're looking for an answer in the broad as to why do we have an arrangement with BUPA as opposed to any um medical practitioner? It could be one that Mr. Peak doctor has been.
So um the visa health screening is obviously for a very very dedicated particular purpose and um has to be carried out according to um certain policies. And so um it's it's not the case that um that necessarily that any health practitioner could could or wouldn't be aware of those policies to carry out carried out with that fidelity that we require.
And on the BUPA contract, is it uh is it a rolling contract? How often is it reassessed renewed?
Um so the current contract commenced on 1st of July 2022. Um we exercised the first of two contract extension periods of two years from the first of July 2025, um and with the revised contract end date of 30 June 2027. What happened before 2022 I would I believe it was um uh different provider, but I'll have to take that on notice it was before my time, Senator.
Okay.