Medicare Australia (Function of Chief Executive Officer — Teen Dental Plan) Direction 2008
Medicare Australia Act 1973
I, JOSEPH LUDWIG, Minister for Human Services, make this Direction under paragraph 5 (1) (d) of the Medicare Australia Act 1973.
Dated 29 April 2008
JOSEPH LUDWIG
Minister for Human Services
 
 
1              Name of Direction
                This Direction is the Medicare Australia (Function of Chief Executive Officer — Teen Dental Plan) Direction 2008.
2              Commencement
                This Direction commences on the day after it is registered.
3              Cessation
                This Direction ceases to have effect after 31 December 2008.
4              Definitions
                In this Direction:
Act means the Medicare Australia Act 1973.
Note   Before 1 October 2005, the Medicare Australia Act 1973 was known as the Health Insurance Commission Act 1973.
eligibility information means information that is given to the Chief Executive Officer by a Commonwealth authority or the principal officer of a Commonwealth authority for the Teen Dental Plan.
eligible patient means a person who may be eligible to receive a service for which a benefit will be payable under the Teen Dental Plan.
medicare information means information collected by the Chief Executive Officer before, on or after 1 October 2005 in performing the medicare functions conferred on the Chief Executive Officer under section 6 of the Act.
Teen Dental Plan means the plan announced by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health and Ageing on 2 March 2008 to introduce a means tested and age restricted dental benefits scheme.
Note   Unless otherwise stated, a term used in this Direction and in the Act has the same meaning in this Direction as it has in the Act. The following terms are defined in section 3 of the Act:
·      benefit
·      Chief Executive Officer
·      Commonwealth authority
·      principal officer.
5              Function in relation to Teen Dental Plan
         (1)   For paragraph 5 (1) (d) of the Act, the Chief Executive Officer is to perform the function of undertaking preparatory activities to assist the Department of Health and Ageing to implement the Teen Dental Plan.
         (2)   This function includes:
                (a)    collecting eligibility information; and
               (b)    using eligibility information or medicare information to identify an eligible patient; and
                (c)    disclosing medicare information, for the purpose of identifying an eligible patient, to a Commonwealth authority that has provided eligibility information to the Chief Executive Officer; and
               (d)    using eligibility information or medicare information in relation to preparing to contact, by mail‑out or other means, an eligible patient or his or her representative; and
                (e)    providing information and reports to the Department of Health and Ageing.
         (3)   The use by the Chief Executive Officer of personal information, including eligibility information and medicare information, for this function is taken to be authorised by law for paragraph (1) (c) of Information Privacy Principle 10 in section 14 of the Privacy Act 1988.
         (4)   The disclosure by the Chief Executive Officer of personal information, including eligibility information and medicare information, for this function is taken to be authorised by law for paragraph (1) (d) of Information Privacy Principle 11 in section 14 of the Privacy Act 1988.