Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025
Senator THORPE (Victoria—Independent VIC Whip) (13:12): I move the request for amendment (1) on sheet 3372: That the House of Representatives be requested to make the following amendment: (1) Page 31 (after line 28), after Schedule 2, insert: Schedule 2A — Medicare benefit payable for services provided to persons in places of detention Health Insurance Act 1973 1 After subsection 19(2) Insert: (2A) Despite subsection (2), a medicare benefit is payable in respect of a professional service if: (a) the professional service has been rendered by, or on behalf of, or under an arrangement with: (i) the Commonwealth; (ii) a State; (iii) a local governing body; or (iv) an authority established by a law of the Commonwealth, a law of a State or a law of an internal territory; and (b) the professional service has been rendered in relation to a person who is in prison or another place of detention or has been recently released from prison or another place of detention; and (c) the professional service is of a kind specified in an instrument made under subsection (2B).
(2B) The Minister must, by legislative instrument, specify one or more kinds of professional services for the purposes of paragraph (2A)(c). (2C) The first instrument made under subsection (2B) must be made by the end of the period of 12 months beginning on the day this subsection commences. Statement pursuant to the order of .the Senate of 26 June 2000 Amendment (1) Amendment (1) is framed as a request because it amends the bill to increase the kinds of professional services in relation to which a Medicare benefit is payable.
Specifically, it would require payments in relation to certain services provided to people in prison or another place of detention or recently released from prison or another place of detention. The amendment would therefore increase the amount of Medicare benefit payments made from the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Health) Special Account. As the effect of this amendment is to increase payments made from the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Health) Special Account, it will increase expenditure under the standing appropriation in section 80 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 or in certain circumstances the standing appropriation in section 18 of the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017.
Statement by the Clerk of the Senate pursuant .to the order of the Senate of 26 June 2000 Amendment (1) If the effect of the amendment is to increase expenditure under a standing appropriation, then it is in accordance with the precedents of the Senate that the amendment be moved as a request.