Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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


HEALTH INSURANCE (PATHOLOGY SERVICES TABLE) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2008 (NO. 3) (SLI NO 114 OF 2008)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 

Select Legislative Instrument 2008 No. 114

 

Health Insurance Act 1973

 

Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2008 (No. 3)

 

Subsection 133(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides, in part, 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, including pathology services, set out in prescribed tables.

 

Section 4A of the Act provides that the regulations may prescribe a table of pathology services that sets out items of pathology services, the amount of fees applicable in respect of each item, and rules for interpretation of the table. The Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulations 2007 (the Principal Regulations) currently prescribe such a table.

 

The purpose of the Regulations is to amend the current table of pathology services in the Principal Regulations to add new items for the diagnosis and monitoring of heart failure in the hospital emergency department setting, and for the use of Hepatitis B DNA testing in the pre-treatment assessment and monitoring of patients with chronic Hepatitis B.

 

The changes were recommended by the Medical Services Advisory Committee and have been developed with the co-operation and support of the three peak pathology bodies (the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, the National Coalition of Public Pathology and the Australian Association of Pathology Practices) and the Australian Medical Association through the Pathology Services Table Committee.

 

Details of the Regulations are included in the Attachment.

 

The Act specifies no conditions that need to be met before the power to make the Regulations may be exercised.

 

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

 

The Regulations commence 1 July 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATTACHMENT

 

 

DETAILS OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE (PATHOLOGY SERVICES TABLE) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2008 (NO. 3)

 

Regulation 1 – Name of Regulations

 

This regulation provides for the Regulations to be referred to as the Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2008 (No. 3).

 

Regulation 2 – Commencement

 

This regulation provides for the Regulations to commence on 1 July 2008.

 

Regulation 3 – Amendment of the Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulations 2007

 

This regulation provides that Schedule 1 amends the Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulations 2007, the Principal Regulations.

 

Schedule 1 – Amendments

 

Schedule 1 sets out a number of changes to the following provisions in Schedule 1 to the Principal Regulations:

§         Part 2 – Rules of interpretation;

§         Part 3 – Services and fees.

 

Part 2 - Rules of interpretation

 

Items [1] to [3]

Rule 25 lists the specific rules that apply for the time restriction or frequency limitations on certain items. Rule 25 has been changed to include new items for the diagnosis of heart failure and the monitoring of patients with Hepatitis B receiving and not receiving antiviral therapy.

 

Part 3 – Services and fees

 

Items [4] to [5]

New item 66830 for the quantitation of BNP or NT-pro BNP for the diagnosis of heart failure in patients presenting with dyspnoea in a hospital Emergency Department has been added with a fee of $59.55.

 

New item 69482 for the quantitation of hepatitis B viral DNA in patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive and have chronic hepatitis B but are not receiving antiviral therapy has been added with a fee of $153.10.

 

New item 69483 for quantitation of hepatitis B viral DNA in patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive, have chronic hepatitis B and are receiving antiviral therapy has been added with a fee of $153.10.


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