Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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HEALTH INSURANCE (1999-2000 GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES TABLE) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2000 (NO. 2) 2000 NO. 148

STATUTORY RULES 2000 NO. 148

Issued by authority of the Minister for Health and Aged Care

Health Insurance Act 1973

Section 133 of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make Regulations 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 purpose of the regulations is to allow for the implementation of the Rural and Remote Area Placement Program (RRAPP), which Government agreed to fund when negotiating the General Practice Memorandum of Understanding with the medical profession. The Program is being administered by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

The RRAPP is a pilot program that aims to increase the exposure of recent medical graduates, who are undertaking hospital internships, to rural general practice thereby encouraging them to consider a longer term career in rural and remote communities. In the longer term, it will provide key information about alternative training models for rural and remote practice that may encourage doctors to consider rural careers. In the shorter term, it will increase rural communities' access to primary care. Participants in the RRAPP will take time out from their hospital work in order to undertake a 10- 13 week placement in a rural location.

The Regulations amend the definition of "general practitioner" which appears in Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Rules of Interpretation of the Health Insurance (1999-2000 General Medical Services Table) Regulations 1999 (the Principal Regulations). This allows services RRAPP participants provide to attract Medicare rebates at the same rate as that for services provided under other general practitioner training programs.

Details of the Regulations are set out in the Attachment.

The Regulations commenced on gazettal.

ATTACHMENT

NOTES ON CLAUSES

Regulation 1 provides that the Regulations may be cited as the Health Insurance (1999-2000 General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2000 (No.2).

Regulation 2 provides that the Regulations commenced on gazettal.

Regulation 3 provides that the Health Insurance (1999-2000 General Medical Services Table) Regulations 1999 are amended by Schedule 1.

Item 1 inserts the word 'or' to enable an additional option in the definition of general practitioner to be considered for the purposes of the Principal Regulations.

Item 2 provides an additional clause to be considered when identifying a general practitioner for the purposes of the Principal Regulations.