Commonwealth Numbered Regulations

HEALTH INSURANCE (GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES TABLE) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2000 (NO. 1) 2000 NO. 356 - SCHEDULE 1

(regulation 3)

[1] Schedule 1, Part 2, rule 2, definition of general practitioner

substitute

general practitioner means:

(a)

a practitioner who is vocationally registered under section 3F of the Act; or

(b) a practitioner who:

(i)

is a Fellow of the RACGP; and

(ii)

participates in the quality assurance and continuing medical education program of the RACGP; and

(iii)

meets the RACGP requirements for quality assurance and continuing education; or

(c) a practitioner who is undertaking a placement in general practice that is approved:

(i)

as part of a training program for general practice leading to the award of Fellowship of the RACGP; or

(ii)

as part of another training program recognised by the RACGP as being an equivalent standard; or

(iii)

as part of the Rural and Remote Area Placement Program administered by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine; or

(d)

an eligible non-vocationally recognised medical practitioner.

[2] Schedule 1, Part 2, after subrule 2 (3)

insert

(4) A reference in the table to an eligible non-vocationally recognised medical practitioner is a reference to a medical practitioner (including an overseas trained practitioner or a temporary resident medical practitioner) who:

(a)

is providing general medical services in rural and remote areas under the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification, as in force on 1 January 2001; and

(b)

is registered as a medical practitioner under the Rural Other Medical Practitioners' Program; and

(c) not being a practitioner vocationally registered under section 3F of the Act, is undertaking, or has indicated in writing an intention to undertake, additional training:

(i)

that could enable vocational registration within 4 years or, on written application, 5 years, of commencing that training; and

(ii)

of which the Health Insurance Commission has written notice.

(5) For subrule (4):

(a)

the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification sets out certain categories of areas in Australia, that have been determined by the Department of Health and Aged Care by reference to population size and remoteness of locality on the basis of 1991 census data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1994; and

(b)

the Rural Other Medical Practitioners' Program is a program administered by the Health Insurance Commission that, in relation to medical services provided to patients in rural and remote areas, provides a particular level of medicare benefits.