Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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HEALTH INSURANCE (1998-99 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SERVICES TABLE) REGULATIONS 1998 1998 NO. 302

STATUTORY RULES 1999 No. 302

Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Health and Aged Care

Health Insurance Act 1973

Health Insurance (1998-99 Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations 1998

The Health Insurance Act 1973 ("the Act") provides for payments by way of Medicare benefits, payments for hospital services and payments for matters concerning related committees and tribunals.

Section 133 of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters for the purposes of the Act.

Section 9 of the Act provides that Medicare benefits shall be calculated by reference to the fees for medical services (including diagnostic imaging services) set out in the table (which includes the Diagnostic Imaging Services Table).

Section 4AA of the Act provides that the table of diagnostic imaging services may be prescribed by the regulations. The purpose of the Health Insurance (1998-99 Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations is to prescribe such a table.

As part of the animal renewal of the Diagnostic Imaging Services Table of the Medicare Benefits Schedule, a number of changes for incorporation in the Health Insurance (1998-99 Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations 1998 are being proposed. These Regulations would be effective from 1 November 1998.

The changes for incorporation in the 1998-99 Diagnostic Imaging Services Table (the Table) by the regulations have been developed with the co-operation and support of the Royal Australasian College of Radiologists (RACR) and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Physicians in Nuclear Medicine (ANZAPNM) through the Consultative Committee on Diagnostic Imaging (CCDI), and the agreement of the Vascular Section of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

The changes to the Table include amendments to the Rules of Interpretation, a fee increase for all items, except those relating to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the deletion of one item, the inclusion of eight new items, an amendment to the description of seven items, the renumbering of a further three items, amendments to five of the subgroup titles, and minor typographical changes in four items.

Details of the Regulations are as follows:

Part 1 - Rules of Interpretation

An amendment to Rule 6 so that it covers items 63000 to 63946 relating to MRI items which were introduced from 1 September 1998.

A number of editorial amendments to the Rules to ensure consistency of style. These changes do not change the meaning of the Rules.

Part 2 - Services and Fees

Fee Increases

In line with the overall fee increase granted for Medicare Benefits Schedule items from 1 November 1998 in the 1998-1999 Budget there is a fee increase of 1.5 per cent for diagnostic imaging items, apart from those relating to MRI.

The effect of this fee increase will be monitored closely and adjustments will be made as necessary to ensure the 1998-1999 expenditure targets set under the Partnership Agreement between the RACR and the Government will be achieved.

Vascular Ultrasound

Changes to items 55288 and 55290 to amend errors in the items listed in the subclauses relating to "block (b)" and "block (e)".

The addition of six new items, 55245, 55247, 55263, 55265, 55277 and 55279 to correct omissions and ambiguities in the Table to prevent inappropriate use of the existing items, and to provide shorter timeframes for the provision of some services.

Replacing the numbers of two items covering urological ultrasound, 55300 and 55303, by numbers 55600 and 55603 so as to make provision to accommodate new items, and any future ones which may be required.

Radiographic examination of head and report

The replacement of item 57900 by two new items, one covering the radiographic examination of the skull (57901), and the other cephalometry (57902), to enable better data collection in the future.

Mobile Image Intensifiers in Digital Subtraction Angiography

An amendment to item 59970 to emphasise that it covers digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as well as conventional angiographic studies.

Nuclear Medicine 1

The amendment of item 61402 so as to permit Tc-Bicisate to be used as an alternative to Tc-Examentazine when undertaking nuclear medical imaging of the brain, in line with current clinical practice.

The correction of typographical errors in items 61433, 61434 and 61454.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Service

A number of amendments, which are minor in nature, to fix minor errors and correct typographical errors. These changes include the substitition of item number 63400 for item 63340, amendments to the headings for subgroups 9, 11, 12, 13 and 15, and changes to the item descriptors for 63459, 63745 and 63870.

The regulations come into effect from 1 November 1998.