Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 2) (Cth)

Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 2)1

Statutory Rules 2003 No. 3182

I, PHILIP MICHAEL JEFFERY, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the Health Insurance Act 1973.

Dated 4 December 2003

P. M. JEFFERY

Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command

TONY ABBOTT

Minister for Health and Ageing

1Name of Regulations

 These Regulations are the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 2).

2Commencement

 These Regulations commence on 1 February 2004.

3Amendment of Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2003

Schedule 1 amends the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2003.

Schedule 1Amendments

(regulation 3)

  

[1]Schedule 1, Part 2, after rule 76

77Application of item 10990

• (1)

  If item 10990 applies to a medical service, the fee specified in that item applies in addition to the fee specified in any other item in the table that applies to the service.

• (2)

  For item 10990:

bulk-billed, in relation to amedical service, means:

• (a)

  a medicare benefit is payable to a person in respect of the service; and

• (b)

  under an agreement entered into under section 20A of the Act:

  • (i)

    the person assigns to the medical practitioner by whom, or under whose supervision, the service is provided, his or her right to the payment of the medicare benefit; and

  • (ii)

    the medical practitioner accepts the assignment in full payment of his or her fee for the service provided.

Commonwealth concession card holder means a person who is a concessional beneficiary within the meaning given by subsection 84 (1) of the National Health Act 1953.

unreferred service means a medical service provided to a person by, or under the supervision of, a medical practitioner, being a service that has not been referred to that practitioner by another medical practitioner or person with referring rights.

78Application of item 10993

• (1)

  For item 10993:

enrolled nurse means a person who:

• (a)

  holds a current practising certificate as a nurse issued by a State or Territory regulatory authority; and

• (b)

  is licensed to provide nursing care under the supervision of a registered nurse.

general practice means a business, consisting of 1 or more medical practitioners, that provides a general practice of medical services.

immunisation means the administration of a registered vaccine to a person for any purpose other than as part of a mass immunisation of persons.

practice nurse means a registered nurse or an enrolled nurse who is employed by, or whose services are otherwise retained by, a general practice.

registered vaccine means a vaccine that is included in the part of the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for registered goods, being the Register maintained under section 9A of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.

• (2)

  Item 10993 applies to an immunisation provided to a person by a practice nurse only if:

  • (a)

    the practice nurse is appropriately qualified and trained to provide immunisations to persons; and

  • (b)

    the medical practitioner under whose supervision the immunisation is provided retains responsibility for the health, safety and clinical outcomes of the person.

79Application of item 10996

• (1)

  For item 10996:

enrolled nurse has the meaning given by subrule 78 (1).

general practice has the meaning given by subrule 78 (1).

practice nurse has the meaning given by subrule 78 (1).

• (2)

  Item 10996 applies to the treatment of a person’s wound (other than normal aftercare) provided by a practice nurse only if:

  • (a)

    the practice nurse is appropriately qualified and trained to treat wounds; and

  • (b)

    the medical practitioner under whose supervision the treatment is provided has conducted an initial assessment of the person; and

  • (c)

    the practice nurse has been instructed by the medical practitioner in relation to the treatment of the wound; and

  • (d)

    the medical practitioner retains responsibility for the health, safety and clinical outcomes of the person.

[2]Schedule 1, Part 3, after item 10941

insert

Miscellaneous services Group 1 — Management of bulk-billed services
10990	A medical service to which an item in this table (other than this item) applies if: (a) the service is an unreferred service; and (b) the service is provided to a person who is under the age of 16 or is a Commonwealth concession card holder; and (c) the person is not an admitted patient of a hospital or day‑hospital facility; and	5.85
(d) the service is bulk-billed in respect of the fees for: (i) this item; and (ii) the other item in this table applying to the service
Group 2 — Services provided by a practice nurse on behalf of a medical practitioner
10993	Immunisation provided to a person by a practice nurse if: (a) the immunisation is provided on behalf of, and under the supervision of, a medical practitioner; and (b) the immunisation is provided: (i) in the consulting rooms of a general practice; or (ii) in a residential aged care facility; or (iii) during a home visit to the person; or (iv) in an institution	10.00
10996	Treatment of a person’s wound (other than normal aftercare) provided by a practice nurse if: (a) the treatment is provided on behalf of, and under the supervision of, a medical practitioner; and (b) the person is not an admitted patient of a hospital or day-hospital facility	10.00

Notes

1. These Regulations amend Statutory Rules 2003 No. 255.

2. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette