EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Minute No. of 1999 – Minister for Aged Care
Subject - Hearing Services Administration Act 1997
Hearing Services Voucher Amendment Rules 1999 (No. 1)
The Hearing Services Administration Act 1997 ('the Act') sets up a scheme under which hearing services are provided to voucher-holders by contracted hearing service providers.
Part 2, Division 2, Section 11(1) of the Act provides that the Minister may, by written instrument, formulate rules relating to vouchers. The rules are to known as the voucher rules. Rules under this subsection are disallowable instruments for the purposes of Section 46A of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.
The proposed Amendment will amend the Hearing Services Voucher Rules 1997 to:
(i) prescribe for the National Manager of the Office of Hearing Services to authorise a contracted hearing service provider to replace a hearing device which has been lost, destroyed or damaged beyond reasonable repair, on the basis of information set out in a Statutory Declaration by the voucher-holder.
These amendments will give effect to new measures announced in the 1999-2000 Federal Budget for the Hearing Services Program, these include:
- the submission of a Statutory Declaration to explain the circumstances of the loss, destruction or damage beyond repair of the hearing device before replacement is considered.
Item 1 - will amend Section 1 to change the citation of the Rules to the Hearing Services Voucher Amendment Rules 1999 (No.1).
Item 2 - will amend Paragraph 10 (1) (b) by inserting a condition requiring a Statutory Declaration from a voucher-holder before a hearing device may be replaced.
The proposed Voucher Amendment Rules will commence on 1 July 1999.