Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) | Hansard source

Prisoner health care is the responsibility of state and territory governments under corrective services legislation. This has been so since the inception of Medicare and is reflected in the Health Insurance Act 1973. In the case of publicly provided health care for custodial prisoners, the Health Insurance Act 1973 prevents state and territory governments from transferring healthcare costs associated with their correctional programs to the Commonwealth's Medicare program. States and territories are best placed to manage the provision of health services to the prisoners in their care.