Health
textual image stating 'Department of Health, Victoria, Australia'

Hospital Circular 14/1996

Date Issued: 4 July 1996
Publication: 14/1996
Contact: Head Office
Distribution: Public Hospitals, Health Insurance Organisations
Subject:

  1. Public Hospital Fees & Dental Fees
  2. Contracts between Public Hospital and Health Insurance Organisations

Purpose: The purpose of this circular is to advise hospitals and health insurance organisations of adjusted public hospital and dental fees; arrangements for contracts between public hospitals and health insurance organisations; and amendments to other fees.

1. ADJUSTED PUBLIC HOSPITAL AND DENTAL FEES

This section is to advise public hospitals and health insurance organisations of the adjusted public hospital and dental fees effective from 1 July 1996.

As in previous years, public hospital fees have been adjusted by the March Quarter Australian CPI and dental fees are aligned with the Department of Veteran Affairs' (DVA) Local Dental Officer (LDO) fees.

As a result of these changes, could you please make the following updates to the State fees manual, AFees and Charges for Acute Health Services in Victoria: A Handbook for Public Hospitals :

  1. Overnight Stay Patients - replace page 2 of part 1, Fees for Admitted Patients. This change is effective from 1 July 1996.

  2. Same Day Patients - replace page 4 of part 1, Fees for Admitted Patients. This change is effective from 1 July 1996

  3. Day Hospital Patients - replace page 5 of part 2, Fees for Non-Admitted Patients. This change is effective from 1 July 1996.

  4. District Nursing Fees - replace page 1, in part 3, Fee for Other Services. This change is effective from 1 July 1996

  5. Dental Fees - replace Appendix B. This change is effective from 1 July 1996.

2. CONTRACTS BETWEEN PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND HEALTH INSURANCE ORGANISATIONS

The Department is planning to release for consultation, a discussion paper on options for implementing contracts between public hospitals and health insurance organisations. In addition, a Commonwealth Senate Committee is currently reviewing private health insurance arrangements, and will report in September 1996. The new Commonwealth Government has indicated that it intends to introduce amendments to the National Health Act 1953 which may further alter the arrangements relating to contracts between hospitals, doctors and health insurance organisations.

Pending the release of the Department=s discussion paper, public hospitals should continue to use the fees and charges for private patients in public hospitals contained in Fees and Charges for Acute Health Services - A Handbook for Public Hospitals. As noted above in Item 1, the fees and charges for admitted private patients in 1996-97 have been increased in line with the Consumer Price Index.

3. OTHER AMENDMENTS BASED ON COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATION

In accordance with the Health Insurance Act 1973, the State=s fees manual now provides that rehabilitation and psychiatric fees can only be charged by hospitals with specific rehabilitation or psychiatric programs approved for payment purposes by individual private health insurance organisations. Previously, rehabilitation and psychiatric programs were approved by the Health Benefits Council on behalf of health insurance organisations. The amendment referred to on page one, item 1(ii) of this Circular accommodates this amendment.

4. DAY ONLY ARRANGEMENTS LISTS - AMENDMENTS

The Commonwealth has recently advised that the release of the supplement to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) with effect from 1 July 1996 will affect the day only arrangements. Accordingly some adjustments have been made to the TYPE B (day only) and TYPE C (exclusion) lists. There have also been some changes following recommendations from the National Day Surgery Committee. All these amendments are detailed in the Commonwealth Circular HBF 454 (ATTACHED), of which Attachments A and B to that Circular are full copies of the current Type B and Type C lists incorporating the recent amendments.

As a result of these changes, could you please make the following update to

  1. the State fees manual AFees and Charges for Acute Health Services in Victoria: A Handbook for Public Hospitals:

    Same Day Patients - replace the following Attachments to page 4 of part 1, Fees for Admitted Patients:

    • Attachment A, Schedule, TYPE-B Professional attention procedures; and
    • Attachment B, Schedule, TYPE-C Professional attention procedures

    respectively with the Attachments A and B enclosed; and/or

  2. amend any electronic data base your hospital may have created for maintaining day only arrangements listings, by incorporating the amendments summarised in Commonwealth HBF Circular 454.

5. PROSTHESIS LIST - AMENDMENTS

The Commonwealth Circular HBF 455 (ATTACHED) incorporates amendments to the March 1996 Schedule of Basic Table Benefits for Prostheses. These changes took effect from 5 June 1996. Accordingly could you please make these changes to your disk copy of the March 1996 Prostheses List. (Refer to earlier Departmental Circular 10/96 on how to purchase the March 1996 Prostheses list on disk from the Commonwealth, if you have not already done so).

IF YOU REQUIRE FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE DAY ONLY ARRANGEMENTS AND PROSTHESES LISTS, PLEASE

TELEPHONE:(06) 289 8786 - 24 HOUR ANSWERING SERVICE -

Health Insurance Section
Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services

DR MICHAEL WALSH
DIRECTOR
ACUTE HEALTH SERVICES

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