EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
SUBJECT - HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973
HEALTH INSURANCE (VARIATION OF FEES & MEDICAL SERVICES) (NO. 54) REGULATIONS
1990 No 250
ISSUED ON THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES AND HEALTH
Section 133 of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with the Act, prescribed, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
Section 9 of the Act provides that Medicare benefits shall be calculated by reference to the fees for medical services set out in the table. The term ‘table’ is defined in subsection 3(1) to mean the table consisting of the general medical services table and pathology services table. The term ‘general medical services table’ is defined to mean the table of medical services set out i Schedule 1 to the Act.
Section 4 of the Act provides that the regulations may prescribe table of medical services (other than pathology services) in accordance with the form of the table set out in Schedule 1 and that upon commencement of a regulation prescribing a table of medical services, the prescribed table has effect as if it were set out in Schedule 1 in the place of the table in that Schedule. The Health Insurance (Variation of Fees and Medical Services) (No. 51) Regulations prescribe such a table (the table).
The Health Insurance (Variation of Fees and Medical Services) (No. 54) Regulations have amended the above Regulations by increasing the fees for twelve items relating to professional attendances by vocationally registered general practitioners.
These amendments implement an undertaking given earlier by the Government, following consultation with the medical profession, that the fees for these twelve items in the table would be increased on 1 August 1990.