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HEALTH INSURANCE (GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES TABLE) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2003 (NO. 3) 2003 NO. 359
STATUTORY RULES 2003 NO. 359
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Health and Ageing
Health Insurance Act 1973
Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 3)
Subsection 133(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with the Act, prescribing all matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
The Act provides, in part, for payment of Medicare benefits in respect of professional services rendered to eligible persons. Section 9 of the Act provides that Medicare benefits shall be calculated by reference to the fees for medical services set out in prescribed Tables.
Subsection 4 (1) of the Act provides that the regulations may prescribe a table of medical services (other than diagnostic imaging services and pathology services) that sets out items of medical services, the amount of fees applicable in respect of each item and rules for interpretation of the table. The Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2003 (the Principal Regulations) currently prescribe such a table.
The purpose of the proposed Regulations is to allow services provided by an eligible non-vocationally registered medical practitioner, under the MedicarePlus for Other Medical Practitioners Program, (the Program), to attract the full Medicare rebate. The Program is intended to extend the full Medicare rebate to certain medical practitioners providing general practice services in areas of workforce shortage. This proposed amendment is in line with the Government's intent to recognise the value of services provided by non-vocationally registered doctors in areas of workforce shortage.
The Regulations amend the definition of "general practitioner" in Schedule 1, Part 2 of the Rules of Interpretation of the Principal Regulations, to expand the current definition of eligible non-vocationally recognised medical practitioners to include participants in the Program, and also insert a definition of the Program. Services provided by these medical practitioners then attract the full Medicare rebate, being the same rate as that for services provided by practitioners who are vocationally registered under section 3F of the Act.
The Regulations commence on 1 February 2004.