Health Insurance Amendment (Extended
Medicare Safety Net) Bill 2014
Portfolio:
Health
Introduced: House of
Representatives, 26 March 2014
1.1
The Health Insurance Amendment (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Bill 2014
seeks to amend the Health Insurance Act 1973 to:
-
increase the general threshold of the Extended Medicare Safety
Net (EMSN) to $2000 from 1 January 2015; and
- enable the Chief Executive Medicare to determine the manner in
which families are contacted to confirm their family composition for EMSN
purposes.
1.2
The accompanying statement of compatibility assesses the bill as
engaging the rights to health and social security. It concludes that the bill
is compatible with human rights as [to] the extent that it may limit the human
right to health [it] is reasonable, necessary and proportionate.[1]
1.3
The committee considers that the bill does not appear to give
rise to human rights concerns.
1.4
The committee notes that, in addition to the rights identified in
the statement of compatibility, the bill may be regarded as engaging the rights
of equality and non-discrimination,[2]
insofar as the increase is targeted only to those persons subject to the upper
threshold of the Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN).
1.5
However, if a difference in treatment can be shown to be based on
objective and reasonable criteria, and to be a proportionate measure adopted in
pursuit of a legitimate goal, then it will not violate the rights of equality
and non-discrimination. The committee notes that measure is designed not to
affect the affordability of medical services for concession card holders and
low-income earners,[3]and
that the measure is likely to be compatible with the rights to equality and
non-discrimination.
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