AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH

AMENDMENTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY HEALTH COMMISSION (CHARGES) REGULATIONS

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

No. 28 of 1977

	The Minister of State for Health has amended the Health Commission (Charges) Regulations under the Health Commission Ordinance 1975 to complement changes made to the Medical Benefits Schedule by Statutory Rule 1977 No. 192.

	Statutory Rule 1977 No. 192 amended the Health Insurance (Variation of Fees and Medical Services) Regulations to, among other things, introduce a lower level of fees for specified pathology services provided to private patients of recognised hospitals by prescribed laboratories.

	Pathology laboratories conducted by the Commission have been prescribed for the purposes of the Regulations.  As a result of S.R. No. 192 items in part 7 of the Table of Medical Services that include the symbol “(H.P.)”, when rendered to a private patient in a Commission hospital, now have a prescribed lower fee and attract a lower benefit.

	The Health Commission (Charges) Regulations have been amended to introduce this new scale of fees by the Commission in line with S.R. No. 192.  The Regulations have also been amended to place beyond doubt the exemption of medibank levy payers from pathology fees except where such services are being provided to a person who has elected to be a private patient in a Commission hospital.