Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9) 2004 No. 324
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 2004 NO. 324
Issued by Authority of the Minister for Health and Ageing
Health Insurance Act 1973
Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9)
Subsection 133(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides, in part, 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.
Part IVA of the Act provides for the establishment and maintenance of the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (the Register), and specifies the functions and powers of the Health Insurance Commission (the Commission) in relation to the Register.
Section 46B of the Act prescribes the Commission's functions in relation to the Register, including the recording in the Register of all immunisation encounters that are notified to the Commission by recognised providers or prescribed bodies.
Subparagraph 46E(1)(a)(ii) of the Act provides that, for the purpose of performing the Commission's functions in relation to the Register, the Managing Director of the Commission may give information, other than information that would enable the identification of a particular child, about the immunisation of children to a prescribed body for such a purpose. The bodies to which information in the register may be given are prescribed in Schedule 1A to the Health Insurance Regulations 1975 (the Principal Regulations).
The purpose of the Regulations is to substitute a new Schedule 1A to the Principal Regulations. The Regulations reflect that fifty-two of the prescribed bodies have changed their names, to reflect changes in their company structure or to better reflect their jurisdictional coverage.
The Regulations also add and remove certain entries on the list of prescribed bodies as a result of amalgamations. Most of the listed prescribed bodies are Divisions of General Practice, which are networks of general practitioners who have formed organisations to improve health outcomes at the local level. State and Territory Health Departments are all prescribed.
Details of the Regulations are set out in the Attachment.
The Act specifies no conditions that need to be met before the power to make the Regulations may be exercised.
The Regulations commence on the date of their notification in the Gazette.
ATTACHMENT
DETAILS OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2004 (No. 9)
Regulation 1 provides for the Regulations to be referred to as the Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9).
Regulation 2 provides for the Regulations to commence on the date of their notification in the Gazette.
Regulation 3 provides for Schedule 1 to amend the Health Insurance Regulations 1975 (the Principal Regulations).
Schedule 1 - Amendments
Item 1
This item substitutes a new Schedule 1A to the Principal Regulations.
Part 1 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in New South Wales to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 1 adds the Riverina Division of General Practice Incorporated to the list of prescribed bodies and removes the Wagga Wagga and District Division of General Practice Incorporated from the list of prescribed bodies.
Part 1 also reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
Bankstown G.P. Division Health Service Incorporated | Bankstown GP Division Incorporated |
Barwon Division of General Practice Incorporated | Barwon Division of General Practice Limited |
The Canterbury Division of General Practice Limited | Canterbury Division of General Practice Limited |
Central Coast Division of General Practice Incorporated | NSW Central Coast Division of General Practice Limited |
Central Sydney Division of General Practice | Central Sydney Division of General Practice Limited |
Division of General Practice Fairfield Health Service Incorporated | Fairfield Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Dubbo/Plains Division of General Practice Limited | Dubbo Plains Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Genprac Limited | Tweed Valley Division of General Practice (GENPRAC Limited) |
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Division of General Practice Limited | Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Ryde Division of General Practice Limited |
Liverpool Division of General Practice Limited | Liverpool Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Macarthur Division of General Practice Limited | Macarthur Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Mid North Coast (NSW) Division of General Practice Limited | Mid North Coast Division of General Practice Limited |
The Nepean Division of General Practice Incorporated | Nepean Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Port Macquarie Division of General Practice Limited | Hastings Macleay Division of General Practice Limited |
South Eastern Sydney Division of General Practice Incorporated | South Eastern Sydney Division of General Practice Limited |
St George District Division of General Practice Incorporated | St George Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Part 2 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in Victoria to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 2 reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
The Bendigo and District Division of General Practice | Bendigo and District Division of General Practice Incorporated |
The Border GP Division Pty Limited | Border Division of General Practice Limited |
Central Bayside Division of General Practice | Central Bayside Division of General Practice Limited |
Central Highlands Division of General Practice | Central Highlands Division of General Practice Limited |
East Gippsland Division of General Practice | East Gippsland Division of General Practice Limited |
GVGP's - A Division of General Practice Limited | The Goulburn Valley Division of General Practice Limited |
General Practitioners Association of Geelong Limited | GP Association of Geelong Limited |
Greater South Eastern Division of General Practice | Greater South East Melbourne Division of General Practice Limited |
Inner South East Melbourne Division of General Practice | Southcity GP Services Limited |
Knox Division of General Practice | Knox Division of General Practice Limited |
Mallee Division of General Practice | Mallee Division of General Practice Limited |
Melbourne Division of General Practice Limited | Melbourne Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice | Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice Limited |
Murray- Plains Division of General Practice | Murray Plains Division of General Practice Incorporated |
North-East Victorian Division of General Practice Pty Limited | North East Victorian Division of General Practice Limited |
Northern Division of General Practice, Melbourne | Northern Division of General Practice - Melbourne Limited |
Otway Division of General Practice | Otway Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Sherbrooke and Packenham Division of General Practice and Lilydale and Yarra Valley Division of General Practice | Eastern Ranges GP Association Incorporated |
South Gippsland Division of General Practice | South Gippsland Division of General Practice Limited |
Westgate Division of Family Medicine Limited | Westgate Division of General Practice Limited |
West Vic Division of General Practice Incorporated | West Victoria Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Part 3 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in Queensland to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 3 adds the Wide Bay Division of General Practice Association Incorporated to the list of prescribed bodies.
Part 3 also reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
Association of Bayside GP Division (Brisbane) Incorporated | Association of Bayside General Practice Division Brisbane Incorporated |
The Brisbane Southside Central Division of General Practice Association Incorporated | Brisbane Southside Central Division of General Practice Association Incorporated |
Central West Rural Division of General Practice Association Incorporated and Northern Queensland Rural Division Of General Practice Association Incorporated | North and West Queensland Primary Health Care Association Incorporated |
Ipswich and West Moreton Division of General Practice | Ipswich and West Moreton Division of General Practice Limited |
The Redcliffe Bribie Caboolture Division of General Practice Association Incorporated | The Redcliffe, Bribie, Caboolture Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Sunshine Coast Division of General Practice Association Limited | Sunshine Coast Division of General Practice Association Incorporated |
Part 4 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in Western Australia to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 4 adds the Canning Division of General Practice Limited to the list of prescribed bodies and removes the Perth, South Eastern Division of General Practice Limited from the list of prescribed bodies.
Part 4 also reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
Central Wheatbelt Division of General Practice | Central Wheatbelt Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Kimberley Division of General Practice | Kimberley Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Perth Division of General Practice Limited and Swan Hills Division of General Practitioners Limited | Perth and Hills Division of General Practice Limited |
Pilbara Division of General Practice | Pilbara Division of General Practice Limited |
Part 5 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in South Australia to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 5 adds the Limestone Coast Division of General Practice Incorporated to the list of prescribed bodies and removes the South East of South Australia Division of General Practice Incorporated from the list of prescribed bodies.
Part 5 also reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
Adelaide Western Division of General Practice Limited | Adelaide Western Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Southern Division of General Practice Incorporated | Adelaide Southern Division of General Practice Incorporated |
Part 6 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in Tasmania to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 6 reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
The Division of General Practice (Tasmania - Southern Region) Incorporated | Southern Division of General Practice Tasmania Incorporated |
Part 7 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in Australian Capital Territory to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. There are no changes to the list of prescribed bodies for the Australian Capital Territory.
Part 8 of the new Schedule 1A prescribes the bodies in the Northern Territory to which information on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register may be given. Part 8 reflects changes to the names of the following Divisions:
Name of Division in the Principal Regulations | Name of Division in the Regulations |
Central Australian Division of General Practice Incorporated | Central Australian Division of Primary Health Care Incorporated |
Top End Division of General Practice | Top End Division of General Practice Incorporated |