National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement Amendment Instrument 2012 (No. 1) (No. PB 68 of 2012)

Overview

The National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement Amendment Instrument 2012 (No.1) was enacted to amend the National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2012, which itself is governed by the National Health Act 1953. This amendment was introduced to address the need for minor updates to the names, addresses, and approval details of hospitals and approved suppliers participating in the multiple hospitals paperless claiming trial in Victoria. The objective of this legislative amendment is to ensure the trial can proceed smoothly by keeping the relevant information current. The Minister, authorised under the National Health Act, made these amendments to maintain the integrity and functionality of the trial, which facilitates the use of electronic medication charts and a paperless claiming procedure for pharmaceutical benefits supplied by approved pharmacists or hospital authorities. This amendment was made to ensure the trial could continue efficiently by updating the necessary details without requiring significant legislative overhaul.

Scope and Application

The National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement Amendment Instrument 2012 (No.1) amends the National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2012, providing specific changes to the trial's operational parameters. This instrument applies to approved suppliers, which include approved pharmacists or approved hospital authorities, associated with private hospitals in Victoria that are specified in the Schedule of the Special Arrangement. The trial allows these entities to use a paperless claiming procedure to claim payments for pharmaceutical benefits supplied, with prescribers using electronic medication charts instead of traditional paper-based prescriptions. The approved suppliers submit claims to the Chief Executive Medicare without a paper copy of the medication chart and must create an electronic record of the chart. The amendments update the names and addresses of participating hospitals and the details of the approved suppliers. This amendment instrument is effective from 1 September 2012 and is a legislative instrument under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this special arrangement amendment instrument pertain to the modifications of the National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2012. Specifically, Section 3 of the Instrument updates the names and addresses of the hospitals participating in the trial, and Section 4 updates the names, addresses, and approval numbers of the approved suppliers associated with those hospitals. This amendment ensures that the details of the participating entities are accurate and current. The Act enables the Minister to make these special arrangements under Section 100(1), and allows for variations or revocations of these arrangements under Section 100(2). The obligations imposed on the parties involved in the multiple hospitals paperless claiming trial include the requirement for approved suppliers, which are approved pharmacists or approved hospital authorities, to use electronic medication charts prepared and signed by prescribers. These suppliers must submit a claim to the Chief Executive Medicare without a paper copy of the medication chart, and must create an electronic record of the medication chart. The approved suppliers must also ensure that they comply with the updated details provided in the Special Arrangement Amendment Instrument. Any breach of the requirements stipulated in the Special Arrangement could potentially lead to civil or criminal consequences. However, the Explanatory Statement does not specify the exact nature of these consequences or the associated penalties. Given the context of the Act, breaches could result in fines or other penalties as outlined in the National Health Act 1953 or other relevant legislation. The precise penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach.