Contents
1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1
2............ Commencement................................................................................... 2
3............ Schedules............................................................................................ 2
Schedule 1—Prescribed dental patients 3
Health Insurance Act 1973 3
Schedule 2—Use of computer programs to manage Register of Approved Placements 4
Health Insurance Act 1973 4
Schedule 3—Bonded medical program 5
Health Insurance Act 1973 5
Health Insurance Amendment (Prescribed Dental Patients and Other Measures) Act 2023
No. 59, 2023
An Act to amend the Health Insurance Act 1973, and for related purposes
[Assented to 21 August 2023]
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act is the Health Insurance Amendment (Prescribed Dental Patients and Other Measures) Act 2023.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
| Commencement information |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
| 1. Sections 1 to 3 and anything in this Act not elsewhere covered by this table | The day this Act receives the Royal Assent. | 21 August 2023 |
| 2. Schedules 1 and 2 | 1 November 2023. | 1 November 2023 |
| 3. Schedule 3 | 1 January 2020. | 1 January 2020 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Schedules
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.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—Prescribed dental patients
Health Insurance Act 1973
1 Subsection 3(1) (definition of accredited dental practitioner)
Repeal the definition.
2 Subsection 3(1) (definition of prescribed dental patient)
Repeal the definition.
3 Subsection 3(1) (paragraph (ba) of the definition of professional service)
Repeal the paragraph.
4 Section 3BA
Repeal the section.
5 Subsection 3C(8) (paragraph (c) of the definition of health service)
Repeal the paragraph.
6 Subsection 3C(8) (paragraph (d) of the definition of health service)
Omit “, other than in circumstances described in paragraph (c)”.
Schedule 2—Use of computer programs to manage Register of Approved Placements
Health Insurance Act 1973
1 After section 3GB
Insert:
3GC Use of computer programs to manage Register of Approved Placements
(1) The Chief Executive Medicare may arrange for the use, under the Chief Executive Medicare’s control, of computer programs for taking actions required by section 3GA or 3GB.
(2) An action taken by the operation of a computer program under such an arrangement is taken to be an action by the Chief Executive Medicare.
(3) The Chief Executive Medicare may substitute an action for an action the Chief Executive Medicare is taken to have made under subsection (2) if the Chief Executive Medicare is satisfied that the action taken by the operation of the computer program is incorrect.
Schedule 3—Bonded medical program
Health Insurance Act 1973
1 Subsection 124ZF(1)
Omit “3 years”, substitute “156 weeks”.
2 Paragraph 124ZG(1)(e)
Omit “as soon as practicable after the request is made”, substitute “by the end of the period specified in the request or, if that period is extended under subsection (4), by the end of the extended period”.
3 At the end of section 124ZG
Add:
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(e):
(a) the request must be made in writing; and
(b) the specified period must not end sooner than 14 days after the day the request is made.
(4) The Secretary may, by written notice given to the bonded participant, extend the period specified in a request made as mentioned in paragraph (1)(e).
4 Paragraph 124ZK(1)(b)
Omit “(d) or”.
5 After paragraph 124ZT(3)(b)
Insert:
(ba) how to calculate a week for the purposes of the 156 week period mentioned in subsection 124ZF(1), including when a week commences and the hours that constitute a week of work;
6 Paragraph 124ZV(2)(a)
Omit “3 year”, substitute “156 week”.
7 Paragraph 124ZV(2)(b)
Omit “3 years”, substitute “156 weeks”.
8 Paragraph 124ZV(2)(b)
Omit “12 months”, substitute “52 weeks”.
9 Paragraph 124ZW(2)(a)
Omit “3 year”, substitute “156 week”.
[Minister’s second reading speech made in—
House of Representatives on 22 March 2023
Senate on 30 March 2023]