AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

HEALTH COMMISSION (CHARGES) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

No. 22 of 1984

The Health Commission (Charges) Regulations have been amended to provide for increases in the charges for nursing home type accommodation in Capital Territory Health Commission nursing homes and hospitals.  The new charges reflect an Australia-wide increase in fees with respect to participating nursing homes under the National Health Act and with respect to deficit financed nursing homes under the Nursing Homes Assistance Act.

The increase is tied to the standard rate pension payable by the Department of Social Security and increases in the Commonwealth nursing home benefits.  It flows on to all nursing home patients accommodated by Commission nursing homes or hospitals when the patients have attained the age of 16 years.  In the A.C.T.. the policy has been to apply to Commission nursing homes the same charging policies as are applied to State Government owned nursing homes and the same principles in respect to patient contributions.  When, therefore, there is an amendment to the Commonwealth legislation altering prescribed patient contributions and Commonwealth nursing home benefits a similar change in the charges contained in the Health Commission (Charges) Regulations should occur.

An increase in the charges tied to the Commonwealth nursing home benefits has not been reflected in the Regulations for some time.  This is evident from the rate of the new charges.  As the substantial proportion of the increase is tied to the Commonwealth benefit, the actual patient contribution aspect of the calculation will only increase by 35 cents per day.

Regulations 1 and 2 of the amending Regulations increases fees payable under Regulations 3B and 4 for nursing home accommodation by a daily rate of 35 cents.

The Regulations took effect from 20 November 1984.