Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Council of Australian Governments’ Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas – COAG s19(2) Exemptions Initiative – Victoria) Direction 2024 (Cth)

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGED CARE

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973

Health Insurance (Medicare Benefits Payable in Respect of Professional Services – Council of Australian Governments' Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas – COAG s19(2) Exemptions Initiative – Victoria) Direction 2024 I, Louise Riley, First Assistant Secretary, Medical Benefits and Digital Health Division, Health Resourcing Group, delegate for the Minister for Health and Aged Care, acting under subsection 19(2) of the Health Insurance Act 1973, hereby:

(1) DIRECT that Medicare Benefits shall be payable in respect of: (a) A professional service (as defined in Section 3 of the Health Insurance Act 1973) which has been agreed to be provided under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Health and Aged Care (ABN: 83 605 426 759) and the Victorian Department of Health (ABN: 74 410 330 756) dated 10 June 2022 as part of the Council of Australian Governments' Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas – COAG s19(2) Exemptions Initiative relating to primary care services for which: (i) items specified in Schedule A of this Direction; and of the general medical services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973), diagnostic imaging services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4AA(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973) and pathology services table (means the table prescribed under subsection 4A(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973) relates; and (b) where the profession service is provided to: (i) an eligible person (as defined in Section 3 of the Health Insurance Act 1973); and (ii) a patient who is not part of an episode of hospital treatment (as defined in Section 121-5 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007); and (c) The professional service referred to in paragraph (1)(a): (i) is provided at an approved Modified Monash Model 5-7 area (as defined in Section 7.1.1 of the general medical services table) practice location specified in Schedule B; and (ii) is either: (A) a professional non-referred service provided by a state remunerated medical practitioner, participating midwife, or participating nurse practitioner; or (B) a professional referred service provided by a state remunerated allied health and dental health practitioner.