Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas (Section 19(2) Exemptions) Initiative Policy
Version 1.0 approved 4 November 2021
The Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas (Section 19(2) Exemptions) Initiative Policy (PDF 374KB) provides the mandatory requirements for SA Health entities to apply for and operate a section 19(2) exemption through the COAG Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas Initiative (section 19(2) Exemptions) Initiative ('the Initiative').
This Policy is underpinned by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Commonwealth and South Australia, under which, state operated health services within categories 5-7 of the Modified Monash Model (‘MMM’) classification system are eligible to apply for an exemption from section 19(2) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth) (‘the HI Act’).
Exemptions allow eligible services provided by primary health care providers under state and territory funded remuneration arrangements to be claimed against the Medicare Benefits Schedule (‘MBS’).
Other types of exemptions to section 19(2) of the HI Act, including those to support regional General Practice training, are provided directly by the Commonwealth through other initiatives. These exemptions fall outside the scope of this MOU and therefore this policy. Other exemptions will have their own implementation and reporting requirement, as determined by the Commonwealth.
Applicability
This policy applies to all employees and contracted staff of SA Health; that is all employees and contracted staff of the Department for Health and Wellbeing, Local Health Networks (including state-wide services aligned with those Networks1) and SA Ambulance Service.
Preventive Health SA and the Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health have also agreed to adopt this policy, as relevant and applicable.
In this document any reference to ‘SA Health’ includes Attached Offices to the extent that they continue to exist and adopt this policy.
Notes
1 — Statewide services’ includes Statewide Clinical Support Services, Prison Health, SA Dental Service, BreastScreen SA and any other state-wide services that fall under the governance of the Local Health Networks