Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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HEALTH INSURANCE (VOCATIONAL REGISTRATION OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS)REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1997 NO. 62

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

STATUTORY RULES 1997 NO. 62

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

Health Insurance Act 1973

Health Insurance (Vocational Registration of General Practitioners) Regulations (Amendment)

The Health Insurance Act 1973 ("the Act") provides in part for the recognition of certain medical practitioners as vocationally registered general practitioners.

The Health Insurance Amendment Act (No. 2) 1996 updated the arrangements for the Vocational Registration of General Practitioners.

Section 133 of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make Regulations for the purposes of the Act.

Vocational Registration was introduced in 1989 to encourage doctors wishing to enter general practice to complete appropriate postgraduate training and to ensure that their skills remain up to date by undertaking quality assurance and continuing medical education.

Following the passage of the Health Insurance Amendment Act (No. 2) 1996 in late 1996 amendments were made to the Health Insurance (Vocational Registration of General Practitioners) Regulations which changed the legislative requirements for vocational registration and the appeal mechanisms.

The amendments make it clear that no applicant is to be disadvantaged nor advantaged by the changed legislative requirements and that applications pending on 24 December 1996 or on appeal are to be determined by applying the legislative requirements which applied when the application was lodged. The legislative requirements which applied when the application was lodged will. therefore, be applied on any appeal or reconsideration following Court review until the application is finally determined.

Further details of the Regulations are set out in the Attachment.

The Regulations commenced an Gazettal.


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