2004‑2005‑2006‑2007

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Presented and read a first time

Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Dental Services) Bill 2007

No.      , 2007

(Health and Ageing)

A Bill for an Act to amend the Health Insurance Act 1973, and for related purposes

Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement.................................................................................. 1

3............ Schedule(s).......................................................................................... 1

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Health Insurance Act 1973                         3

A Bill for an Act to amend the Health Insurance Act 1973, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Dental Services) Act 2007.

2  Commencement

                   This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3  Schedule(s)

                   Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Health Insurance Act 1973

1  After subsection 3C(2)

Insert:

          (2A)  A determination under subsection (1) may provide that the total of all amounts of medicare benefit paid or payable in respect of one or more eligible dental services provided to a person in a specified period must not exceed a specified amount.

          (2B)  If a determination makes provision as mentioned in subsection (2A), medicare benefit is not payable, despite Part II, in respect of an eligible dental service provided to a person in the specified period to the extent that the total of all amounts of medicare benefit paid or payable for all such eligible dental services provided to the person in the specified period exceeds the specified amount.

2  Subsection 3C(8)

Insert:

eligible dental service means:

                     (a)  dental treatment; and

                     (b)  a health service described in paragraph (d) of the definition of health service.

3  Subsection 3C(8) (definition of health service)

Omit all the words after paragraph (b), substitute:

               and (c)  the supply of prostheses in connection with a service rendered by an accredited dental practitioner to a prescribed dental patient; and

                     (d)  the supply of prostheses in connection with dental treatment, other than in circumstances described in paragraph (c);

but does not include the supply of any other prostheses.

4  Saving provision

            A determination made under section 3C of the Health Insurance Act 1973 as in force before the commencement of this item, to the extent that it relates to dental health services, continues in force, despite the amendment of that section by this Act.