Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

NATIONAL HEALTH ACT 1953 - SECT 86

             (1)  Subject to this Part, a person who:

                     (a)  is, or is to be treated as, an eligible person within the meaning of the Health Insurance Act 1973 ; and

                     (b)  is receiving:

                              (i)  medical treatment by a medical practitioner; or

                             (ii)  dental treatment by a participating dental practitioner; or

                            (iii)  optometrical treatment by an authorised optometrist;

is entitled to receive pharmaceutical benefits under this Part without the payment or furnishing of money or other consideration other than a charge made in accordance with section 87.

Residency

             (2)  For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), while a person is working outside Australia as a Commonwealth officer, he or she is taken to reside in Australia.

             (3)  For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), while a person is working outside Australia as a State or Territory officer, he or she is taken to reside in Australia.

             (4)  For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), while the spouse, or a dependent child, of a person covered by subsection (2) or (3) is outside Australia accompanying that person, the spouse or child is taken to reside in Australia.

Note:          Paragraph (1)(a) refers to a person being an eligible person within the meaning of the Health Insurance Act 1973 . Under that Act an Australian resident is an eligible person. A person must reside in Australia to be an Australian resident.

Definitions

             (5)  In this section:

"dependent child" has the same meaning as in section 84B.

"spouse" has the same meaning as in section 84B.