Senator Ludwig: The Minister for Health has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question: (1) Benchmarking is an activity that allows the comparison of data against a set of best practice results ("the benchmark"). Benchmarking products are generally software applications that allow users to easily compare their own data with a set of industry benchmarks. (2) (a) No (b) No (3) Not applicable - refer to question 2 (4) Yes (5) Yes (6) See schedule provided by the Department of Health and Ageing at Attachment 1. (7) See schedule provided by the Department of Health and Ageing at Attachment 1. (8) The Director of Independent Hospital Pricing Authority's Hospital Costing Section, Ms Karen Chudleigh, was appointed on 1 November 2011 and her term expires on 31 December 2012. (9) No (10) (a)There is no relationship between Ms Chudleigh and Healthcost. (b) Ms Chudleigh has had no association with Visasys, beyond that of managing the contract for the National Hospital Cost Data Collection. (11) The Australian Public Service Commission Code of Conduct requires that employees "disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or apparent) in connection with APS employment". No such disclosure has been made by Ms Chudleigh in relation to Visasys. (12) Ms Chudleigh liaises with the Queensland Department of Health in her role as Director Hospital Costing. The IHPA Technical Working Groups (TWG) are the main point of formal liaison. The following TWG's have been held since IHPAs establishment: 13 December 2011; 12 January 2012; 31 January 2012; 2 March 2012; 14-15 March 2012; 18 May 2012; 23 May 2012; 5 June 2012; and 7 Aug 2012 (13) (a) The Director of Hospital Costing was the Chair of the Evaluation Panel providing a recommendation to the delegate. (b) IHPA is not aware of who drafted the tender for Visasys. (14) No involvement – no such presentation has taken place. (15) IHPA is unaware of Visasys market share in Australia, nor how many employees they currently have. Attachment 1 Contract No. Managing Division Vendor Name Vendor ABN Contract Purpose Start End Contract Value (inc GST) 4500000572 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 The Department of Health and Ageing's Financial Management Information System did not record this information at this time 09/02/01 11/06/03 $41,091.58 4500001671 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 The Department of Health and Ageing's Financial Management Information System did not record this information at this time 30/04/01 11/06/03 $297,000.00 4500015996 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 The Department of Health and Ageing's Financial Management Information System did not record this information at this time 03/03/04 15/12/04 $385,000.00 4500025418 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 The Department of Health and Ageing's Financial Management Information System did not record this information at this time 12/01/05 16/12/05 $326,480.00 4500037340 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Combo' Software Licence 20/04/06 30/06/08 $243,000.00 4500050201 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Services in Relation to Round 10 of the National Cost Data Collection & Deed of Variation Round 9 08/06/07 30/09/07 $238,000.00 4500054150 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Round 11 (2006/07) National Hospital Cost Data Collection 23/01/08 30/09/08 $374,000.00 4500062346 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Round12 National Hospital Cost Data Collection & Licence of the Combo Software 15/01/09 30/06/09 $ 497,300.15 4500067623 ACD Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Data Processing & Analysis of Round 13 (2008-09 Hospital Cost Data Collection-Software Licence 23/09/09 30/06/10 $578,050.00 4500075990 ICTCS Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Data Collection, Processing & Reporting - National 06/12/10 30/06/12 $836,265.00 4500102212 ICTCS Visasys Pty Ltd 61 008 592 514 Round 15 of the National Hospital Cost Data Collection for Public Hospitals 19/02/12 30/06/12 $601,700.00