Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9)

Administered by Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Legislation au F2004B00373 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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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

Overview

The Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9) were enacted to address the need for updating the list of prescribed bodies under the Health Insurance Act 1973. This Act establishes and maintains 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. The Regulations were issued by the Minister for Health and Ageing and aim to reflect the changes in the names of prescribed bodies due to organisational restructuring and to better reflect their jurisdictional coverage. The enacting body was the Parliament of Australia, and the policy objective was to ensure that the information about children's immunisation is provided to the appropriate bodies for the effective management and maintenance of the Register. These Regulations substitute a new Schedule 1A to the Health Insurance Regulations 1975, adding and removing certain entries on the list of prescribed bodies as a result of amalgamations and name changes.

Scope and Application

The Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9) amends the Health Insurance Regulations 1975 by updating the list of prescribed bodies that can receive information from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. These regulations apply to recognised providers and prescribed bodies, primarily Divisions of General Practice and State and Territory Health Departments, across various Australian jurisdictions. The changes in the regulations include updating the names of various Divisions of General Practice to reflect changes in their company structure or jurisdictional coverage, as well as adding and removing certain entries due to amalgamations. This amendment ensures that the list of bodies authorised to access immunisation information remains current and accurate. The regulations do not impose any specific conditions or thresholds for their application, and they commence on the date of their notification in the Gazette.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9) focus on updating the list of prescribed bodies eligible to receive information from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, as per Section 46B of the Health Insurance Act 1973. Regulation 3 and Schedule 1 of the Regulations substitute a new Schedule 1A to the Health Insurance Regulations 1975, detailing which bodies can access immunisation data. This includes updating the names of fifty-two bodies to reflect changes in their structure or jurisdictional coverage, and accounting for mergers by adding or removing certain entries. For instance, in New South Wales, the Riverina Division of General Practice Incorporated is added, while the Wagga Wagga and District Division of General Practice Incorporated is removed. The Regulations impose obligations on the Health Insurance Commission to ensure that the updated list of prescribed bodies is accurately reflected in Schedule 1A. This includes verifying the names and eligibility of bodies that can access immunisation data, and ensuring that any changes due to mergers or structural changes are correctly documented. The Regulations also require the Commission to notify these prescribed bodies about any changes to their eligibility status or the cessation of their ability to access the Register. There are no specific offences, penalties, or consequences outlined in the explanatory statement for failing to comply with these Regulations. However, breaches of the Health Insurance Act 1973, which these Regulations aim to support, can lead to civil and criminal penalties. For example, unauthorised use or disclosure of personal information can result in significant fines, with maximum penalties varying depending on the severity of the breach. These penalties underscore the importance of adhering to the provisions set out in the Regulations and the underlying Act. In summary, the Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 9) aim to ensure that the list of bodies eligible to access the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register is up-to-date and accurate, reflecting changes in organisational structures and mergers. These Regulations are crucial for maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the immunisation data collection and dissemination process.

Area of Law: Health Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations; Regulatory Standards

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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