Summary
Amends the: Health Insurance Act 1973, National Health Act 1953 and Private Health Insurance Incentives Act 1998 to enable registered private health funds to offer insurance plans to cover all out-of-pocket expenses for out-of-hospital Medicare rebatable services in excess of $1 000 in a calendar year; and Health Insurance Act 1973 to establish a new safety-net for concession card holders to cover 80 per cent of out-of-pocket expenses for out-of-hospital Medicare rebatable costs which have exceeded $500 in a calendar year; and provide for the introduction of an electronic direct billing option (whereby patients assign their Medicare rebate to their doctor and pay only the gap amount to the doctor), to be available to general practitioners who participate in the General Practice Access Scheme. Also contains application provisions.