Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]

HEALTH INSURANCE REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1997 NO. 287

STATUTORY RULES 1997 No. 287

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Health and Family Services

Health Insurance Act 1973

Health Insurance Regulations (Amendment)

The Health Insurance Amendment Act 1996 amended the Health Insurance Act 1973 ('the Act') to provide for the establishment and maintenance of the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) under the Act.

Section 133 of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations to prescribe matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed.

Prior to the amendment of the Act, Regulation 3Q of the Health Insurance Commission Regulations specified the functions of the Health Insurance Commission (HIC) in relation to the ACIR, and also specified the powers of the Managing Director of the HIC in relation to the giving of information from the ACIR to specified persons or bodies.

Following that amendment, these functions and powers are specified in Part IVA of the Act.

Section 46B of the Act provides that the HIC's functions include the recording in ACIR of certain information notified to it by prescribed bodies.

Section 46E of the Act provides that the Managing Director of the HIC may give information to prescribed bodies, and may authorise the receipt of information by officers or employees of prescribed bodies, among other things.

Section 46A defines "prescribed body" as a body prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of Part IVA of the Act.

The amendments. to the Health Insurance Regulations prescribe the bodies to which information may be given in accordance with Part IVA of the Act.

Regulation 2 - inserts Regulation 22A to prescribe bodies for the purposes of paragraph 46B (b), subparagraph -16E (1) (a) (ii), subparagraph 46E (1) (c) (ii), paragraph 46E (2) (b) and 46E (3) (c) of the Health Insurance Act 1973.

Regulation 3 - Inserts Schedule 1A to specify the bodies prescribed by Regulation 22A.

The Regulations commenced on Gazettal.