Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

MEDICARE AGREEMENTS ACT 1992 - SECT 4

                   Section 23E of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section is substituted:

" 23E   Interpretation

           "(1)  In this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:

"Agreement" , except in section 23F, means an Agreement made under section 24.

"base hospital funding grant formula" means the method (set out in an Agreement on the day that it is entered into) of calculating the amount of base hospital funding grant payable in respect of a financial year during the grant period.

"Commitments" means the Commitments set out in subsection 26(2).

"financial assistance" means financial assistance payable under an Agreement.

"grant period" means:

                     (a)  the period beginning on 1 July 1993 and ending on 30 June 1998; or

                     (b)  if the period is extended--that extended period.

"hospital service" means a health service of a kind provided in a hospital and includes:

                     (a)  accommodation in a hospital for the purposes of receiving treatment; and

                     (b)  nursing care and treatment; and

                     (c)  medical care and treatment including diagnostic services; and

                     (d)  outpatient, accident and emergency services.

"Medicare Principles" means the Principles set out in subsection 26(2).

"other health services" means those services listed in an Agreement as being other health services.

"public hospital service" means a hospital service provided in:

                     (a)  a recognised hospital; or

                     (b)  a hospital in respect of which the Commonwealth, or a State, provides funding for the provision of hospital services to public patients.

Note 1:       For the meaning of hospital see subsection 3(1).

Note 2:       For the meaning of recognised hospital see subsection 3(1).

"substantial reduction in the amount of non-base hospital funding payable" has the meaning given in an Agreement.

           "(2)  For the purposes of this Part and Schedules 2 and 2A:

                     (a)  a reference to a State includes a reference to the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory; and

                     (b)  a reference to the Australian Capital Territory includes a reference to the Jervis Bay Territory.".