Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973 - SECT 23DGA

  (1)   A notice given under subsection   23DF(11) in respect of an undertaking (the current undertaking ) given by a person under subsection   23DF(1) may specify, as the day on which the undertaking is taken to have come into force, a day earlier than the day on which the undertaking was accepted if:

  (a)   one month before the day on which the Minister accepted the undertaking, an undertaking (the previous undertaking ) previously given by the person under subsection   23DF(1) had been in force; and

  (b)   the previous undertaking ceased to be in force during the month ending on the day before that day; and

  (c)   the current undertaking, and the application for the Minister's acceptance of the current undertaking, were not given under subsection   23DF(1) before the previous undertaking ceased to be in force; and

  (d)   the Minister is satisfied that the reason for the current undertaking and application not being given before the previous undertaking ceased to be in force was:

  (i)   minor inadvertence on the person's part; or

  (ii)   circumstances beyond the person's control; and

  (e)   the Minister is satisfied that it is in the public interest to specify an earlier day as the day on which the current undertaking is taken to have come into force; and

  (f)   the person has paid the acceptance fee in respect of the current undertaking.

  (2)   The earlier day specified in the notice given under subsection   23DF(11) must be the day after the day on which the previous undertaking ceased to be in force.

  (3)   Without limiting the matters to which the Minister may have regard in considering for the purposes of paragraph   (1)(e) whether it would be in the public interest to specify an earlier day, the Minister must have regard to:

  (a)   whether the person would suffer financial hardship if an earlier day was not specified; and

  (b)   whether substantial inconvenience would be caused to other persons who would not be eligible to receive medicare benefit for the rendering of certain professional services if an earlier day was not specified.