Health ref. no. 826
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973
Health Insurance (Eligible persons and persons in the Support for Trafficked People Program and the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program and their Dependents) Order 2025
I, Nigel Murray, Assistant Secretary, MBS Policy and Specialist Programs Branch, Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division, Health Resourcing Group, delegate for the Minister for Health and Ageing, for the purposes of subsection 6(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) hereby:
- REVOKE the Health Insurance (Eligible persons and persons in the Support for Trafficked People Program and the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program) Order 2025 (No. 824), made on 18 December 2024.
- DECLARE that every person included in the specified class of persons to whom clause (3) applies, being a person who, but for this Order, would not be an eligible person for the purposes of the Act shall, during any period in which the person is in Australia, be treated as being an eligible person for the purposes of the Act.
- This applies to:
- a person who is included in the Support for Trafficked People Program.
- a person who is included in the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program.
- a dependent of a person referred to in paragraph 3(a) or 3(b).
- This Order commences on 24 September 2025.
Dated 15 September 2025
Nigel Murray
Assistant Secretary
MBS Policy and Specialist Programs Branch
Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
ATTACHMENT - STATEMENT OF REASONS
Health Insurance Act 1973
Class Order under Subsection 6(1)
ORDER NO: 826
DATE OF ORDER: 15 September 2025
RELATED ORDERS: Individual orders: 522, 524, 528, 552, 556, 557, 563, 569, 572, 575, 578, 581, 605, 612, 613, 620, 621, 626, 627, 631, 633, 650, 654, 656, 662, 664, 672, 676, 679, 687, 688, 689, 691, 692, 693, 694, 696, 697, 699, 700, 703, 704, 706, 710, 712, 714, 716, 718, 719, 722, 723, 724, 726, 728, 729, 731, 732, 735, 736, 737, 741, 742, 744, 746, 747, 748, 750, 751, 752, 753, 754, 756, 757
Class orders: 759, 766, 784, 803, 824
NAME OF PERSON/GROUP: Support for Trafficked People Program and Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program participants and dependents
REASON FOR APPROVAL:
In October 2003, the then Government announced a package of measures to combat people trafficking, including support measures for victims and survivors. The Support for Trafficked People Program (STPP) assists victims and survivors in meeting their safety, security, health and well-being needs, including access to Medicare. People on the STPP may hold any type of visa. A dependent of an STPP client may include children, elderly people, or people with disabilities, residing in Australia with the person who is on the STPP.
The Increasing Support for Victim-Survivors of Domestic Violence and Modern Slavery Budget 2023-24 measure provides support to temporary visa holders leaving violent relationships and people who are at-risk of, or who have experienced, forced marriage.
This included the establishment of the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program (FMSSP) from 2 January 2025. The FMSSP provides caseworker support, counselling, temporary accommodation, financial support, and health support, including enabling participants and their dependents access to Medicare who would otherwise be ineligible. People on the FMSSP may hold any type of visa. A dependent of an FMSSP client may include children, elderly people, or people with disabilities, residing in Australia with the person who is on the FMSSP.
The Health Insurance (Eligible persons and persons in the Support for Trafficked People Program and the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program and their Dependents) Order 2025 (No. 826) extends eligibility for Medicare to the dependents of STPP clients, consistent with the previous extension of Medicare to the dependents of FMSSP clients implemented in the Health Insurance (Eligible persons and persons in the Support for Trafficked People Program and the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program) Order 2025 (No. 824).
The Department of Social Services (DSS) administers the STPP and FMSSP.