Commonwealth Numbered Acts

HEALTH INSURANCE COMMISSION AMENDMENT ACT 1976 No. 61 of 1976 - SECT 3

3. After Part II of the Health Insurance Commission Act 1973 the following
Part is inserted:-

''PART IIA-MEDIBANK CONTRIBUTORS Medibank contributors.
''8A. (1) For the purpose of the obtaining of benefits under the Health
Insurance Act 1973-1976 without liability to pay the levy imposed by the
Health Insurance Levy Act 1976, a person may make application, in accordance
with the approved form, to the Commission, on behalf of himself or of himself
and his dependants, to become a Medibank contributor or Medibank contributors.

''(2) Where an application under this section is duly made and, except where
the application is made under sub-section (6) and its approval would not
affect the rate of contributions applicable to the applicant, a contribution
in accordance with this section in respect of such period as the Commission
determines is paid, the Commission shall approve the application and shall
notify the applicant, in writing, accordingly specifying in the notification
the date of effect of the approval.

''(3) The date of effect of an approval of an application under this section
is-

   (a)  where the application is made on or before 30 November 1976-1 October
        1976 or such later date as is requested by the applicant;

   (b)  where the application is made under sub-section (1) after 30 November
        1976-the date requested by the applicant, being a date not earlier
        than the date on which the application was made;

   (c)  where the application is made under sub-section (6) after 30 November
        1976 and the applicant has no dependants who are Medibank
        contributors-the date on which the application is made or such later
        date as is requested by the applicant; or

   (d)  where the application is made under sub-section (6) after 30 November
        1976 and the applicant has a dependant who is a Medibank
        contributor-the date on which the person specified in the application
        became a dependant of the applicant.

''(4) The period in respect of which an amount of contribution is paid under
sub-section (2) in respect of an application shall be deemed to commence, or
to have commenced, on the date of effect of the approval of the application.

''(5) A person to whom an approval under sub-section (2) relates becomes, or
shall be deemed to have become, a Medibank contributor on-

   (a)  where-

        (i)    the application to which the approval relates is made on or
               before 30 November 1976; or

        (ii)   the application to which the approval relates is made under
               sub-section (6) after 30 November 1976 and the applicant has,
               by reason of an earlier application (whether made under
               sub-section (1) or sub-section (6)), a dependant who is a
               Medibank contributor,

the date of effect of the approval; or

   (b)  in any other case-the date 2 months after the date of effect of the
        approval.

''(6) Where a person becomes a dependant of a Medibank contributor, the
Medibank contributor may make application, in accordance with the approved
form, to the Commission for that dependant to become a Medibank contributor.

''(7) The regulations may prescribe rates of contribution under this section
in respect of classes of persons.

''(8) It is a condition of an approval under sub-section (2) that the
applicant shall pay contributions, or continue to pay contributions, in
accordance with such of the prescribed rates as is applicable to him, to the
Commission at such times, and in such amounts, as the Commission determines
from time to time.

''(9) Where a Medibank contributor fails to comply with the condition set out
in sub-section (8), the Commission may revoke the approval or approvals
affected by that failure.

''(10) A revocation under sub-section (9) takes effect, or shall be deemed to
have taken effect, on a date specified by the Commission, being a date
immediately following the expiration of a period of 2 months commencing on the
day immediately following the last day in respect of which contributions were
paid to the Commission by the Medibank contributor in accordance with the
condition set out in sub-section (8).

''(11) A Medibank contributor referred to in sub-section (9), and any
dependant of the Medibank contributor, ceases to be, or shall be deemed to
have ceased to be, a Medibank contributor on the day on which the revocation
under that sub-section takes effect or is deemed to have taken effect.

''(12) In this section, 'approved form' means a form approved by the Minister
for the purposes of this section.''.
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