Health ref. no. 811

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973

Health Insurance (Eligible persons and citizens of Italy) Order 2017

I, GREG HUNT, Minister for Health, pursuant to subsection 6(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (‘the Act’), hereby DECLARE that:

(a) Every person included in the specified class of persons:

(i)                 the person is a citizen of Italy who is eligible for services under the national health legislation of Italy; and

(ii)               the person is lawfully present but not ordinarily resident in Australia,

being a person who, but for this Order, would not be an eligible person for the purposes of the Act shall, for a period not exceeding six months after the person’s last entry to Australia, be treated as being an eligible person for the purposes of the Act.

(b) This Order shall have effect from the date of signature.

Dated this     26th     day of October 2017

GREG HUNT

MINISTER FOR HEALTH

ATTACHMENT – STATEMENT OF REASONS

Health Insurance Act 1973

Class Order under Subsection 6(1)

ORDER NO: 811

DATE OF ORDER: 2017

RELATED ORDERS: 

NAME OF PERSON OR GROUP: Citizens of Italy

REASONS FOR APPROVAL:

Citizens of Italy who are lawfully present in Australia but not ordinarily resident in Australia are eligible for Medicare upon arrival in Australia, while on a visa that exceeds 6 months.

This is an interim measure to address an anomaly in the Australia-Italy Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. Currently, the agreement does not permit a person entering Australia on a visa exceeding a 6 month period to be eligible for Medicare.

Note: The name of this instrument was amended on registration as the instrument as lodged did not have a unique name (see subsection 10(2), Legislation Rule 2016).