Hospital Fund Act Amendment Act 1931 (WA)

1931.] Hospital Fund. [No. 55

HOSPITAL FUND.

22° GEO. V., No. LV.

No. 55 of 1931.

AN ACT to amend sections eleven, twelve, and thirteen of the Hospital Fund Act, 2930, and to make pro- vision in regard to relief of certain persons from liability for payment for Hospital services.

[Assented to 29th December, 1931.]

B E it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, byCouncil and Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, inand with the advice and consent of the Legislative

this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of

the same, as follows:-

1. This Act may be cited as the Hospital Fund Act Short title.

Amendment Act, 1931, and shall be read as one with the Hos- pital Fund Act, 1930 (No. 39 of 1930), hereinafter referred to as the principal Act.

2.    Section eleven of the principal Act is amended, as fol- Amendment of e.11.

lows:

(a) by inserting after the word "exempt" in subsection

(1) the words "either in whole or in part";

(b) by adding at the end of subsection (1) the words "if upon an action taken by a public hospital against any such person the court, having regard to the means of the defendant and the circumstances of the case, shall so decide. Where in any case the court is of opinion that the defendant is able to make some payment in respect of the cost of hos-

No. 55] Hospital Fund. [1931.

pital service sought to be recovered from him, the court may enter judgment against such defendant accordingly."

New Section. 3. A section is inserted in the principal Act, after section

eleven, as follows:-

Persons to give to

hospital notice of	11A. (1.) Any person intending to claim exemption from liability for cost of hospital service shall, as soon as reasonably may be, give notice thereof in writing to the hospital authority, together with satisfactory proof that he is a person to whom section eleven of this Act applies.
Intention to claim
exemption.
(2.) The hospital authority, upon receipt of such notice and proof to its satisfaction that the claimant is a person to whom section eleven of this Act applies, shall inquire into the means of the claimant and the circumstances of the case, and shall exempt the claimant either in whole or in part from liability for cost of the hospital service sup- plied to him, according as his means and the circum- stances of the case shall require.
Amendment 05

s.12. 4. Section twelve of the principal Act is amended, as fol-

lows :—

(a) by deleting the words "hospital benefit," in line one, and inserting in lieu thereof the word "exemp- tion";

(b) by inserting after the word "authority," in line three, the words "or the court, as the case may be";

(c)	by deleting the word "benefit," in line one of the proviso, and inserting in lieu thereof the word "exemption";
(d)	by inserting after the word "authority," in line two

of the proviso, the words "or the court."

New section. 5. A section is inserted in the principal Act, after section

twelve, as follows:-

Allowance and	12A. (1.) Where in any financial year any contribu- Act shall have made to a public hospital any donation in money (not being a payment for the purpose of obtain- ing free hospital service), and shall furnish satisfactory
refund In respect
of donation to	tor to the Fund under section five or section eight of this
public hospitals.

1931. ] Hospital Fund. [No. 55.

proof thereof to the Commissioner at any time before the end of such financial year, the Commissioner shall give to such contributor credit for the amount of such dona- tion against the amount of the contribution to the Fund payable by such contributor in respect of such financial year, and the contributor shall be liable only for the bal- ance (if any) of the contribution to the Fund for which he has been assessed.

(2.) Where in any financial year any contributor to the Fund under section nine of this Act shall have made to a public hospital any donation in money (not being a payment for the purpose of obtaining free hospital ser- vice), and shall furnish satisfactory proof thereof to the Minister at any time before the end of such financial year, the Minister shall refund to such contributor, as soon as may be after the end of such financial year, an amount equal to the amount of such donation, but not in any event exceeding the amount of contributions to the Fund paid by such contributor during such financial year.

6. Section thirteen of the principal Act is amended by in- Amendment of 8.13.

serting therein a new paragraph, as follows :—

(e) refunding to contributors the amount of donations

made by them to public hospitals.

7. The principal Act as amended by this Act may be cited Citation of principal Act as amended.

as the Hospital Fund Act, 1930-1931.