EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Health
Health Insurance Act 1973
Health Insurance (HbA1c Test for Diagnosis of Diabetes) Revocation Determination 2015
Subsection 3C(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides that the Minister may, by writing, determine that a health service not listed in the Pathology Services Table (the Table) shall, in specified circumstances and for specified statutory provisions, be treated as if it were so listed. The Table is set out in the regulations made under subsection 4(A)(1) of the Act, which is re-made each year. The most recent version of the regulations is the
Health Insurance (Pathology Services Table) Regulation 2015 (the regulation) which commences on 1 July 2015.
The Health Insurance (HbA1c Test for Diagnosis of Diabetes) Revocation Determination 2015 revokes the Health Insurance (HbA1c Test for Diagnosis of Diabetes) Determination 2014 as the item number (66841) contained in the 2014 Determination has been incorporated into the Regulation to commence on 1 July 2015, and will continue as an item of the Regulation.
Consultation
An application requesting MBS listing of HbA1c testing for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus
(diabetes) was received from the Australian Diabetes Society, the Royal College of
Pathologists of Australasia and the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists by the
Department of Health in May 2012. The application was considered by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) in April 2014. MSAC considered that access to HbA1C testing for diabetes diagnosis was clinically relevant and would provide a safe, effective and cost effective alternative to conventional testing and would improve patient compliance and early detection of diabetes. Therefore, MSAC recommended that public funding be supported for this service.
Details of the Determination are set out in the Attachment.
The Act specifies no conditions which need to be met before the power to make the Determination may be exercised.
This Determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
This Determination commences on 1 July 2015.
ATTACHMENT
DETAILS OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE (HBA1C TEST FOR DIAGNOSIS OF DIABETES) REVOCATION DETERMINATION 2015
Section 1 Name of Determination
Section 1 provides that the name of the Determination is the Health Insurance (HbA1c Test for Diagnosis of Diabetes) Revocation Determination 2015.
Section 2 Commencement
Section 2 provides that the Determination commences on 1 July 2015.
Section 3 Revocation
Section 3 provides that the Determination revokes the Health Insurance (HbA1c Test for Diagnosis of Diabetes) Determination 2014.