QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator LAMBIE (Tasmania) (14:26): Thank you, Madam President. My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. DVA requires doctors to provide medical evidence for liability and personal injury claims for veterans, but doctors are reporting that DVA is failing to pay for reports already completed and submitted.

Not surprisingly, some doctors are now refusing to provide any more reports for veterans until their outstanding invoices are paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This puts veterans in the middle of a payment dispute between DVA and their treating doctors. It is shameful, with claims that can't progress because the DVA needs medical evidence that isn't available, or they make a determination without it, or they force us into the hands of mlcoa, which is not our choice.

This is causing significant distress to veterans and threatens to further reduce the pool of doctors willing to work with the Department of Veterans' Affairs. How many liability and personal injury report invoices are currently unpaid, and how many doctors are waiting for payment? I'm sorry I have to ask this in here, but I've been asking DVA for quite some time and they will not give me that answer.