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Submissions

Making submissions to inquiries and reviews of governments and other bodies that affect public pathology in Australia is part of our advocacy activities.

Recent submissions include:

  • Review of Funding Arrangements for Pathology Under Medicare – that was held by the Australian Government in 2010-11 and resulted in a new five year Pathology Funding Agreement for Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) funded pathology services between the Government and pathology sector commencing on 1 July 2011. 
  • Healthcare Identifiers and Privacy  – on proposals of Australian Health Ministers for legislative support for individual healthcare identifiers and protection of privacy.
  • e-Health and Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR) - on the draft concept of operations and on legislative matters. 
  • Commonwealth Review of Health Technology Assessment in Australia – to develop more timely and better coordinated health technology assessment arrangements at the Commonwealth level.
  • MBS Quality Framework - on the design of new evidence based listing, fee setting and review  mechanisms for the MBS.
  • Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) - on its processes for applications for public funding.
  • Senate Committees – e.g. to the Community Affairs Committee for their inquiries into Gene Patents, a National Registration and Pathology Request Form Changes to give consumers greater choice of pathology provider and to the Legislative and Constitutional Committee on the Patent Amendment (Human Genes and Biological Materials) Bill 2010.
  • National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council (NPAAC) - on draft documents for safe and quality pathology practice released for public consultation.
  • Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing – on strengthening the provisions of the Health Insurance Act 1973 and its secondary legislation for dealing with inappropriate and prohibited practices in pathology provision and requesting, and pathology request form changes to give consumers greater choice of pathology provider.
  • Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) – on the competition effects of proposed company mergers and acquisitions for the Australian pathology services market.