Commonwealth of Australia Bills Commonwealth of Australia Bills[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]
This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
2022
The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Presented and read a first time
National Health Amendment (General
Co-payment) Bill 2022
No. , 2022
(Health and Aged Care)
A Bill for an Act to amend the National Health Act
1953, and for related purposes
No. , 2022
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
i
Contents
1
Short title ........................................................................................... 1
2
Commencement ................................................................................. 1
3
Schedules ........................................................................................... 2
Schedule 1--Amendments
3
National Health Act 1953
3
No. , 2022
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
1
A Bill for an Act to amend the National Health Act
1
1953, and for related purposes
2
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
3
1 Short title
4
This Act is the
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment)
5
Act 2022
.
6
2 Commencement
7
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table
8
commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with
9
column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect
10
according to its terms.
11
12
2
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
No. , 2022
Commencement information
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Provisions
Commencement
Date/Details
1. The whole of
this Act
1 January 2023.
1 January 2023
Note:
This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally
1
enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of
2
this Act.
3
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act.
4
Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it
5
may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
6
3 Schedules
7
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or
8
repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule
9
concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect
10
according to its terms.
11
Amendments
Schedule 1
No. , 2022
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
3
Schedule 1--Amendments
1
2
National Health Act 1953
3
1 Subsection 84(1)
4
Insert:
5
eligible for increased discounting
: see section 87AA.
6
general patient charge amount
means $30.00.
7
Note:
The figure in this definition is adjusted annually under section 99G.
8
2 Paragraph 84C(4)(c)
9
Omit "$28.60" (first occurring), substitute "the general patient charge
10
amount".
11
3 Subparagraph 84C(4)(c)(i)
12
Omit "$28.60", substitute "if the supply is not eligible for increased
13
discounting--the general patient charge amount".
14
4 After subparagraph 84C(4)(c)(i)
15
Insert:
16
(ia) if the supply is eligible for increased discounting--the
17
amount charged for the supply under
18
paragraph 87(2)(e);
19
5 Paragraph 87(2)(e)
20
Omit "supplied $28.60 (less any allowable discount)", substitute:
21
supplied either:
22
(i) in any case--the general patient charge amount (less
23
any allowable discount); or
24
(ii) if the supply is eligible for increased discounting--an
25
amount that is less than the lowest amount chargeable
26
under subparagraph (i), but greater than nil.
27
6 Subsection 87(2) (note 1)
28
After "in dollars", insert ", and the general patient charge amount,".
29
Schedule 1
Amendments
4
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
No. , 2022
7 At the end of subsection 87(2)
1
Add:
2
Note 3:
For the purposes of subparagraph (e)(ii), the lowest amount
3
chargeable under subparagraph (e)(i) is the amount that would be
4
chargeable under that subparagraph if the pharmacist or medical
5
practitioner gave the maximum allowable discount.
6
8 After section 87
7
Insert:
8
87AA Meaning of eligible for increased discounting
9
A supply of a pharmaceutical benefit by an approved pharmacist or
10
an approved medical practitioner is
eligible for increased
11
discounting
if:
12
(a) the supply is upon a general benefit prescription (other than
13
one relating to a supply to which paragraph 87(2)(b) applies);
14
and
15
(b) the supply is not an early supply of a specified
16
pharmaceutical benefit; and
17
(c) at the time of the supply, the Commonwealth price in relation
18
to the pharmaceutical benefit is:
19
(i) greater than the general patient charge amount; and
20
(ii) less than or equal to $42.50.
21
Note:
The general patient charge amount and the figure in
22
subparagraph (c)(ii) are adjusted annually under section 99G.
23
9 Paragraphs 99(2A)(a), (aa) and (b)
24
Omit "$28.60", substitute "the general patient charge amount".
25
10 Subsection 99(2A) (note)
26
Repeal the note.
27
11 After subsection 99(2B)
28
Insert:
29
(2C) If a supply is eligible for increased discounting, then:
30
(a) subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, paragraph (2)(b)
31
applies in relation to the supply as if the reference in
32
Amendments
Schedule 1
No. , 2022
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
5
paragraph (2)(b) to the amount (without any allowable
1
discount) that the pharmacist or medical practitioner was
2
entitled to charge under subsection 87(2) were a reference to
3
the general patient charge amount; and
4
(b) if an amount is charged for the supply under
5
subparagraph 87(2)(e)(ii)--subsection (2) of this section does
6
not apply in relation to the supply.
7
Note:
Subparagraph 87(2)(e)(i) allows an approved pharmacist or approved
8
medical practitioner to charge the general patient charge amount (less
9
any allowable discount) for certain supplies. Subparagraph 87(2)(e)(ii)
10
allows the approved pharmacist or approved medical practitioner to
11
charge a lower amount if the supply is eligible for increased
12
discounting.
13
12 Section 99F (definition of general patient charge)
14
Omit "each amount of $28.60 referred to in paragraph 84C(4)(c) or
15
87(2)(e) or subsection 99(2A)", substitute "the amount specified in the
16
definition of
general patient charge amount
in subsection 84(1)".
17
13 Section 99F
18
Insert:
19
increased discounting upper Commonwealth price
means the
20
amount specified in subparagraph 87AA(c)(ii).
21
14 Subsection 99G(1)
22
Omit "after 2005".
23
15 Subsection 99G(1) (at the end of the table)
24
Add:
25
26
Schedule 1
Amendments
6
National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022
No. , 2022
5.
Increased discounting
upper Commonwealth
price
1 January
September
16 Indexation
1
General patient charge
2
(1)
The amount mentioned in item 1 of the table in subsection 99G(1) of
3
the
National Health Act 1953
, as amended by this Schedule, is to be
4
indexed under section 99G of that Act:
5
(a) on 1 January 2024; and
6
(b) on 1 January in each year after 2024.
7
Increased discounting upper Commonwealth price
8
(2)
The amount mentioned in item 5 of that table is to be indexed under that
9
section:
10
(a) on 1 January 2023 (immediately after the commencement of
11
this item); and
12
(b) on 1 January in each year after 2023.
13