Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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HEALTH INSURANCE REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1991 NO. 441

STATUTORY RULES 1991 No. 441

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services

Health Insurance Act 1973

Health Insurance Regulations (Amendment)

The Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides for payments by way of medical benefits, payments for hospital services and payments for matters concerning related committees and tribunals.

Section 133 of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides 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 amending Regulations form part of a package of major reforms to the practice of pathology announced in the 1991 Budget which introduce a licensing scheme for pathology specimen collection centres.

Regulation 2ADA of the Health Insurance Regulations (the principal Regulations) prescribes particulars for the purposes of subsection 19(6) of the Act, a provision which requires the particulars, such as the name of the person receiving the service and the date on which the service is rendered, to be recorded on accounts or receipts for fees or bulk-billing assignment forms for professional services.

Regulation 3 of the amending Regulations inserts definitions of "identification number" for pathology specimen collection centres and "licensed collection centre" into regulation 2 of the principal Regulations.

Regulation 4 of the amending Regulations amended regulation 2ADA of the principal Regulations by prescribing the identification number of a collection centre as a particular to be recorded on accounts, receipts and bulk-billing assignment forms.

The Regulations will come into effect on 1 February 1992.