EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1983 Nos. 253 and 256
ISSUED BY AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH
HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973
HEALTH INSURANCE REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) No. 253
HEALTH INSURANCE (PATHOLOGY SERVICES)
REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) No. 256
Sub-section 133(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (‘the Act’) provides 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 which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
The proposed Health Insurance Regulations (Amendment) will insert into the Health Insurance Regulations a definition of the term ‘provider number’. It will provide that a ‘provider number’ in relation to a practitioner, an approved pathology practitioner or a participating optometrist, means the identification number that, for administrative purposes, is allocated to that person by the Permanent Head (or an authorized officer) in respect of a particular place of practice. The proposed regulations are expressed to come into effect on 1 February 1984.
The proposed Health Insurance (Pathology Services) Regulations (Amendment) will repeal, as from 31 January 1984, Regulation 6 of the Health Insurance (Pathology Services) Regulations. Regulation 6, which currently
prescribes details which are required to be included on accounts, receipts or assignment forms relating to pathology services, will be unnecessary with the coming into effect on 1 February 1984, of the Health Insurance Regulations (Amendment) which will prescribe such particulars in respect of all professional services. The repeal is therefore expressed to take effect as from 31 January 1984 to avoid any potential duplication.