AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

ISSUED BY AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH

HEALTH COMMISSION (CHARGES) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENTS)

No. 17 of 1980

	The Minister of State for Health has made regulations under the Health Commission Ordinance 1975 which amend the Health Commission (Charges) Regulations.

	The inpatient charge for accommodation at hospitals conducted by the Commission for compensable and non-eligible persons has been increased from $136 to $165 per day.

	The method prescribed for the calculation of a day for the purposes of the charges prescribed by the Regulations has been made uniform.

	The basis of the charge for the provision of outpatient services at hospitals conducted by the Commission has been changed to each occasion of service and a charge of $8 per service has been set.

	The daily charge for the accommodation of a person over the age of 16 years in a health services hostel conducted by the Commission has been increased from $6.29 to $6.58 in line with the increase in the daily single age or invalid pension entitlement which took effect on 6 November 1980.

	Where a medical service, other than a pathology service, is provided at the request of a member of the Australian Federal Police or under a direction made in pursuance of a law, no charge may be made by the Commission.  This change will bring the position with regard to services other than pathology services into line with that applying to pathology services.

	Before the amending Regulations were made, compensable and non-eligible persons were obliged to pay 75% of the standard fee for pathology services provided by the Commission.  The charge set by the Regulations for these persons is now the full charge for pathology services.

	The Regulations exempt school pupils, including secondary college students, from liability for charges for ambulance transport where the need for the transport arose while the pupil was at school or travelling to or from school.

	The opportunity has also been taken to remove a minor anomaly from Regulation 2.