Commonwealth Numbered Acts

Health Acts Amendment Act 1981 No. 118 of 1981 - SECT 15

15. Section 21 of the Principal Act is amended-

   (a)  by omitting sub-section (1) and substituting the following
        sub-section:

''(1) Subject to this section, where-

   (a)  medical expenses are incurred by a medically insured person in respect
        of a medical service specified in an item that is rendered outside
        Australia to the medically insured person, or to another person who is
        a medically insured person by reason of being a dependant of that
        first-mentioned person, by, or on behalf of, a prescribed person; or

   (b)  medical expenses are incurred by an eligible pensioner in respect of a
        medical service specified in an item that is rendered outside
        Australia to that eligible pensioner, or to a dependant of that
        eligible pensioner, by, or on behalf of, a prescribed person,

a Commonwealth medical benefit is payable in respect of that medical service
as if-

   (c)  that medical service had been rendered in New South Wales by, or on
        behalf of, a medical practitioner; and

   (d)  where the person who incurred the medical expenses was, at the time
        when he incurred the medical expenses, a disadvantaged person-the
        person was not, at that time, a disadvantaged person.'';

   (b)  by omitting from paragraph (4) (b) ''or''; and

   (c)  by adding at the end of sub-section (4) the following paragraphs:

''(d) a medical service rendered to a person who is not an eligible person; or

   (e)  a medical service in respect of which the medical expenses are
        incurred by a person who is not an eligible person.''.