EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1982 NO. 38
ISSUED BY AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH
NATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Section 140 of the National Health Act 1953 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing all matters which are 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.
Sub-paragraph 47 (2) (b) (iii) of the Act fixes the minimum amount of daily patient contribution ($6.70 or such higher amount as is prescribed by regulations) that nursing home patients accommodated in approved non-government nursing homes are required to contribute towards their care and treatment. In 1978, the Government decided that such patients should contribute an amount which would leave a patient, receiving only a pension and supplementary assistance under the Social Services Act 1947, an adequate amount for personal spending. A patient contribution equivalent to 87½% of entitlement for such pensioners was determined to leave
such an amount. An increase in the rate of supplementary assistance with effect from 11 February 1982 has made it necessary to increase the amount of patient contribution from that date in order to maintain this relativity. Regulation 1 therefore provides for an increase in the prescribed daily amount from $9.30 to $9.70.
Regulation 2 provides for the coming into operation of the statutory rules on 11 February 1982.