Commission's Additional Functions (Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot) Determination 2002 (Cth)

Commonwealth of Australia

Health Insurance Commission Act 1973

Commission’s Additional Functions

(Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot) Determination 2002

(HICA 8AA(4)/1/2002)

I, KAY  CHRISTINE  LESLEY  PATTERSON, Minister for Health and Ageing, make the following Determination under subsection 8AA(4) of the Health Insurance Commission Act 1973.

Dated this 10^th day of September 2002.

Kay Patterson

Minister for Health and Ageing

Citation

1. This Determination may be cited as the Commission’s Additional Functions (Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot) Determination 2002.

Commencement

1. This Determination has effect from the date that it is made.

Interpretation

1. In this Determination:

“Act” means the Health Insurance Commission Act 1973.

“Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot” or “Pilot” means the national pilot for the early detection of bowel cancer as announced in the 2000-2001 Budget, conducted by, or on behalf of, the Commonwealth.

“Commission” means the Health Insurance Commission established under the Act.

“Department” means the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.

“DVA function” means the Commission’s function under regulation 4 of the Health Insurance Commission Regulations 1975.

“Health Professional”  means a person or body involved in the provision of health care, including but not limited to medical practitioners, pathologists and allied health professionals.

“Medicare functions” has the same meaning given by section 6 of the Act.

“Participant” means a person who is within the target population for the Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot, as determined by the Department from time to time.

“Register” means the register of information about Participants for the purposes of the Pilot including, but not limited to, names, addresses and clinical information.

Commission’s Additional Functions

1. For the purposes of subsection 8AA(4) of the Act, it is a function of the Commission to administer, or assist with the administration of, aspects of the Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot conducted by, or on behalf of, the Commonwealth.

1. The function conferred on the Commission by clause 4 includes each of the following functions:

(a)the establishment and maintenance of the Register known as the National Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot Register;

(b)the service function, described in clause 6;

(c)the epidemiological and monitoring function, described in clause 7; and

(d)the doing of anything incidental or conducive to the performance of the above functions.

1. The service function is to:

(a)establish the Register by identifying Participants using enrolment database information collected by the Commission in the performance of its Medicare functions or DVA function and to update information in the Register as required;

(b)invite Participants for screening and re-screening at appropriate intervals;

(c)provide a system of communication with Participants and Health Professionals to allow for appropriate and timely follow up of Participants;

(d)record Participants’ screening and detection histories in the Register;

(e)provide information on a Participant’s screening and detection history recorded in the Register to Health Professionals to assist them in advising Participants about options for their clinical management; and

(f)make payments on behalf of the Commonwealth to Health Professionals or another person authorised by the Health Professional to receive the payment, for services provided to Participants and for the transfer of information about Participants to the Register.

1. The epidemiological and monitoring function is to:

(a)monitor participants rates for Participants;

(b)monitor the response rate of Participants and their Health Professionals to reminders for screening, re-screening and follow up;

(c)assist in evaluating the response of Participants to public education campaigns designed to promote screening activity;

(d)provide identified information about consenting Participants to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to assist in assessing the accuracy of screening tests by comparing screening register data with cancer and/or other disease registry data; and

(e)provide de-identified information about the Pilot to the Department to assist in:

(i)   monitoring screening and disease trends;

(ii)studying the efficacy of the management and treatment of abnormal screening and follow up results;

(iii)monitoring and evaluating the quality, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Pilot; and

(iv)increasing public awareness of bowel cancer and screening.

1. .       In performing the functions conferred by this Determination, the Commission will not use claims data, which it obtains in the performance of its Medicare functions or DVA function.