EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 

Select Legislative Instrument 2005 No. 312

 

Health Insurance Act 1973

 

Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2005  (No. 5)

 

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 payments 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. 

 

A table of general medical services is currently prescribed by the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2005 (the Principal Regulations). 

 

The purpose of the Regulations is to amend the Principal Regulations to increase the schedule fee for six obstetric antenatal attendance items (16500, 16502, 16504, 16505, 16508, and 16509).

 

Details of the Regulations are set out in the Attachment.

 

The Act specified no conditions that need to be met before the power to make the proposed Regulations was exercised.

 

The Regulations are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

 

The Regulations commenced on 1 January 2006.

 

 

 

                                                                                                      Authority:       Subsection 133(1) of the

                                                                                                         Health Insurance Act 1973

 

ATTACHMENT

 

Amendment to Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2005

 

Regulation 1 provides for the Regulations to be referred to as the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2005 (No. 5).

 

Regulation 2 provides for the Regulations to commence on 1 January 2006.

 

Regulation 3 provides for a schedule of amendments at Schedule 1.

 

Schedule 1

Item 1 amends the schedule fee from $31.45 to $37.00 for the item 16500.  This item covers antenatal attendances.

 

Item 2 amends the schedule fee from $31.45 to $37.00 for items 16502, 16504, 16505, 16508, and 16509. 

 

The item 16502 covers the treatment of polyhydramnios, unstable lie, multiple pregnancy, pregnancy complicated by diabetes or anaemia, threatened premature labour where admission is required to a hospital.

 

The item 16504 covers the treatment of habitual miscarriage by the injection of hormones.

 

The item 16505 covers the treatment of threatened abortion, threatened miscarriage or hyperemesis gravidarum, which requires admission to hospital.

 

The item 16508 covers the service for pregnancy complicated by acute intercurrent infection, intrauterine growth retardation, threatened premature labour with ruptured membranes or threatened premature labour treated by intravenous therapy, requiring admission to a hospital.

 

The item16509 covers the service for preeclampsia, eclampsia or antepartum haemorrhage.