Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Additional GP Bulk-billing Incentives) Determination 2020

Dated   17 April 2020

Greg Hunt

Contents

1  Name........................................................................................................................................ 1

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

3  Authority.................................................................................................................................. 1

4  Cessation.................................................................................................................................. 1

5  Definitions................................................................................................................................ 1

6  Treatment of relevant services.................................................................................................. 1

Schedule 1—Relevant services – GP bulk-billing incentives                                     1

1.1.1  Application of items 10981 and 10982............................................................................... 1

1  Name

                   This instrument is the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Additional GP Bulk-billing Incentives) Determination 2020.

2  Commencement

             (1)  Each provision of this instrument 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.

Note:          This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

             (2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

                   This instrument is made under subsection 3C(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973.

4  Cessation

                   Unless earlier revoked this instrument ceases as if revoked on 30 September 2020.

5  Definitions

Note:          A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 3(1) of the Act, including the following:

•       clinically relevant service

•       general medical services table

•       item

•       professional service

 (1)  In this instrument:

Act means the Health Insurance Act 1973.

bulk‑billed has the meaning given by clause 2.34.1 of the general medical services table.

eligible area has the meaning given by clause 2.34.1 of the general medical services table.

patient at risk of COVID-19 virus has the meaning given by subsection 5(1) of the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Determination 2020.

practice location has the meaning given by clause 2.34.1 of the general medical services table.

relevant provisions means all provisions of the Act and regulations made under the Act, and the National Health Act 1953 and regulations made under the National Health Act 1953, relating to medical services, professional services or items.

relevant service means a health service, as defined in subsection 3C(8) of the Act, that is specified in a Schedule.

Schedule means a Schedule to this instrument.

unreferred service has the meaning given by clause 2.34.1 of the general medical services table.

 (2)  Unless the contrary intention appears, a reference in this instrument to a provision of the Act or the National Health Act 1953 or a legislative instrument made under the Act or under the National Health Act 1953 as applied, adopted or incorporated in relation to specifying a matter is a reference to those provisions as in force from time to time and any other reference to provisions of an Act or instrument is a reference to those provisions as in force from time to time.

6  Treatment of relevant services

            For subsection 3C(1) of the Act a relevant service, provided in accordance with this Determination and as a clinically relevant service, is to be treated, for the relevant provisions, as if:

                     (a)  it were both a professional service and a medical service; and

                     (b)  there were an item in the general medical services table that:

                              (i)  related to the service; and

                             (ii)  specified for the service a fee in relation to each State, being the fee specified in the Schedule in relation to the service.

Schedule 1—Relevant services – GP bulk-billing incentives

Division 1.1 – Services and fees – GP bulk-billing incentives

1.1.1  Application of items 10981 and 10982

             (1)  Subclause 2.34.2(3) of the general medical services table has effect as if items 10981 and 10982 were also specified in that subclause.