Health Insurance Legislation Amendments (Usual Medical Practitioner) Determination 2025

I, Louise Riley, delegate of the Minister for Health and Ageing, make the following Determination.

Dated 19 August 2025

Louise Riley

Contents

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

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

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

4  Schedules................................................1

Schedule 1—COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Amendments 2

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Determination 2020 2

Schedule 2—Telehealth Amendments 3

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Telehealth Attendances) Determination 2021 3

1  Name

  This instrument is the Health Insurance Legislation Amendments (Usual Medical Practitioner) Determination 2025.

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Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made.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.

1.     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  Schedules

  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Amendments

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - COVID-19 Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Determination 2020

1  After paragraph 8(11)(b)

Insert:

 (c) is a participant in the Approved Medical Deputising Service program if:

 (i) the Approved Medical Deputising Service provider has a formal agreement in place with a medical practice to provide after-hours services to its patients; and

 (ii) the medical practice has provided, or arranged, at least one service to the patient in the past 12 months; or

 (d) is a general practitioner employed by an Approved Medical Deputising Service provider, if:

 (i) the Approved Medical Deputising Service provider has a formal agreement in place with a medical practice to provide after-hours services to its patients; and

 (ii) the medical practice has provided, or arranged, at least one service to the patient in the past 12 months; or

 (e) is a medical practitioner employed by an accredited Medical Deputising Service, if:

 (i) the accredited Medical Deputising Service has a formal agreement in place with a medical practice to provide after-hours services to its patients; and

 (ii) the medical practice has provided, or arranged, at least one service to the patient in the past 12 months.

Schedule 2—Telehealth Amendments

Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Telehealth Attendances) Determination 2021

1  After paragraph 7(7)(b)

Insert:

 (c) is a participant in the Approved Medical Deputising Service program if:

 (i) the Approved Medical Deputising Service provider has a formal agreement in place with a medical practice to provide after-hours services to its patients; and

 (ii) the medical practice has provided, or arranged, at least one service to the patient in the past 12 months; or

 (d) is a general practitioner employed by an Approved Medical Deputising Service provider, if:

 (i) the Approved Medical Deputising Service provider has a formal agreement in place with a medical practice to provide after-hours services to its patients; and

 (ii) the medical practice has provided, or arranged, at least one service to the patient in the past 12 months; or

 (e) is a medical practitioner employed by an accredited Medical Deputising Service, if:

 (i) the accredited Medical Deputising Service has a formal agreement in place with a medical practice to provide after-hours services to its patients; and

 (ii) the medical practice has provided, or arranged, at least one service to the patient in the past 12 months.