Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

HEALTH AND OTHER SERVICES (COMPENSATION) ACT 1995 - NOTES

No. 130, 1995

Compilation No. 23

Compilation date: 14 October 2024

Includes amendments: Act No. 39, 2024

About this compilation

This compilation

This is a compilation of the Health and Other Services (Compensation) Act 1995 that shows the text of the law as amended and in force on 14  October 2024 (the compilation date).

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information about amending laws and the amendment history of provisions of the compiled law.

Uncommenced amendments

The effect of uncommenced amendments is not shown in the text of the compiled law. Any uncommenced amendments affecting the law are accessible on the Register (www.legislation.gov.au). The details of amendments made up to, but not commenced at, the compilation date are underlined in the endnotes. For more information on any uncommenced amendments, see the Register for the compiled law.

Application, saving and transitional provisions for provisions and amendments

If the operation of a provision or amendment of the compiled law is affected by an application, saving or transitional provision that is not included in this compilation, details are included in the endnotes.

Editorial changes

For more information about any editorial changes made in this compilation, see the endnotes.

Modifications

If the compiled law is modified by another law, the compiled law operates as modified but the modification does not amend the text of the law. Accordingly, this compilation does not show the text of the compiled law as modified. For more information on any modifications, see the Register for the compiled law.

Self-repealing provisions

If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.

Contents

Part 1--Preliminary

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Definitions

4 Definition of compensation

5 Application of this Act to events occurring before the commencement of this Act

6 Crown to be bound

6AA Norfolk Island

6A Application of the Criminal Code

Part 2--Consequences of compensation payments

Division 1--Medicare benefit

7 Reimbursement of amounts payable for professional services

8 Recovering past payments of medicare benefit from judgments and settlements

Division 2--Nursing home benefit, residential care subsidy and home care subsidy

9 Reimbursement of amounts payable for nursing home care, residential care or home care

10 Recovering past payments of nursing home benefit, residential care subsidy or home care subsidy from judgments and settlements

Part 3--Payments to the Commonwealth in respect of compensation payments

Division 1--Notices about compensation claims etc.

11 Operation of Division

13 Notice of reimbursement arrangements

14 Notice of intention to recover amounts

17 Notice to claimant

18 Statement by claimant of past benefits

19 Reconsideration of decisions about extensions of the period for giving statements

20 Effect of date of hearing on period for giving statement

21 Notice of past benefits

22 Restriction on making settlements

23 Notice of judgment or settlement

23A Statement after judgment or settlement--no relevant past benefits

23B Notice of statement that is not substantially correct

23C Notice of acceptance of amended statement

23D Review of decision under section 23B by the Administrative Review Tribunal

24 Notice of charge--claims resulting in judgments or settlements

25 Notice of charge--claims resulting in reimbursement arrangements

26 Offences

Division 2--Payments to the Commonwealth in respect of amounts of compensation

27 Limit on total amount payable in respect of amounts of compensation

28 Payments to the Commonwealth

29 Recovery of amounts payable to the Commonwealth

30 Notice of charge suspends liability to pay compensation etc.

31 Payment to the Commonwealth discharges liability

32 Offence to make payment before discharging liability to the Commonwealth

33 Interest not payable on amount withheld

Division 2A--Advance payments to the Commonwealth

33A Notice of advance payment

33B Advance payments

33C Notice of past benefits

33D Time within which notice of past benefits must be given

33H Refunds from advance payments

33J Additional payments to the Commonwealth

33K Payment of the whole of the advance payment

33L Advance payments to the Commonwealth discharge liability

33M Interest not payable on advance payments

Division 3--Waiver of the requirements of this Part

34 Bulk payment agreements

35 Waiver--bulk payment agreements

36 Extended waiver--settlements during periods of bulk payment agreements

37 Limits of waiver--bulk payment agreements

38 Waiver--small amounts of compensation

Part 4--Administration

Division 1--General

39 General administration of Act

40 Additional functions of the Chief Executive Medicare

41 Delegation

Division 2--Power to obtain information

42 Chief Executive Medicare etc. may obtain information etc.

43 Content of notices

44 Offences

45 Exemption

Part 5--Miscellaneous

46 Form of notices etc.

47 Regulations

Endnotes

Endnote 1--About the endnotes

Endnote 2--Abbreviation key

Endnote 3--Legislation history

Endnote 4--Amendment history

Endnote 5--Editorial changes

Endnotes

Endnote 1--About the endnotes

The endnotes provide information about this compilation and the compiled law.

The following endnotes are included in every compilation:

Endnote 1--About the endnotes

Endnote 2--Abbreviation key

Endnote 3--Legislation history

Endnote 4--Amendment history

Abbreviation key--Endnote 2

The abbreviation key sets out abbreviations that may be used in the endnotes.

Legislation history and amendment history--Endnotes 3 and 4

Amending laws are annotated in the legislation history and amendment history.

The legislation history in endnote 3 provides information about each law that has amended (or will amend) the compiled law. The information includes commencement details for amending laws and details of any application, saving or transitional provisions that are not included in this compilation.

The amendment history in endnote 4 provides information about amendments at the provision (generally section or equivalent) level. It also includes information about any provision of the compiled law that has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law.

Editorial changes

The Legislation Act 2003 authorises First Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial and presentational changes to a compiled law in preparing a compilation of the law for registration. The changes must not change the effect of the law. Editorial changes take effect from the compilation registration date.

If the compilation includes editorial changes, the endnotes include a brief outline of the changes in general terms. Full details of any changes can be obtained from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Misdescribed amendments

A misdescribed amendment is an amendment that does not accurately describe how an amendment is to be made. If, despite the misdescription, the amendment can be given effect as intended, then the misdescribed amendment can be incorporated through an editorial change made under section  15V of the Legislation Act 2003.

If a misdescribed amendment cannot be given effect as intended, the amendment is not incorporated and "(md not incorp)" is added to the amendment history.

Endnote 2--Abbreviation key

 

ad = added or inserted	o = order(s)
am = amended	Ord = Ordinance
amdt = amendment	orig = original
c = clause(s)	par = paragraph(s)/subparagraph(s)
C[x] = Compilation No. x	/sub-subparagraph(s)
Ch = Chapter(s)	pres = present
def = definition(s)	prev = previous
Dict = Dictionary	(prev ... ) = previously
disallowed = disallowed by Parliament	Pt = Part(s)
Div = Division(s)	r = regulation(s)/rule(s)
ed = editorial change	reloc = relocated
exp = expires/expired or ceases/ceased to have	renum = renumbered
effect	rep = repealed
F = Federal Register of Legislation	rs = repealed and substituted
gaz = gazette	s = section(s)/subsection(s)
LA = Legislation Act 2003	Sch = Schedule(s)
LIA = Legislative Instruments Act 2003	Sdiv = Subdivision(s)
(md) = misdescribed amendment can be given	SLI = Select Legislative Instrument
effect	SR = Statutory Rules
(md not incorp) = misdescribed amendment	Sub-Ch = Sub-Chapter(s)
cannot be given effect	SubPt = Subpart(s)
mod = modified/modification	underlining = whole or part not
No. = Number(s)	commenced or to be commenced

Endnote 3--Legislation history

 

Act	Number and year	Assent	Commencement	Application, saving and transitional provisions
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Act 1995	130, 1995	14 Nov 1995	1 Feb 1996 (s 2(1) and gaz 1996, No. GN2)
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Amendment Act 1996	33, 1996	28 Aug 1996	Sch 1 (item 4): 1 Feb 1996 (s 2(2)) Remainder: 28 Aug 1996 (s 2(1))	--
Aged Care (Consequential Provisions) Act 1997	114, 1997	7 July 1997	Sch 5 (items 4-28): 1 Oct 1997 (s 2(1))	--
Health and Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001	111, 2001	17 Sept 2001	s 4 and Sch 1 (items 11-20): 17 Sept 2001 (s 2)	s 4
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Legislation Amendment Act 2001	150, 2001	1 Oct 2001	Sch 1 (items 1-20, 22-43): 1 Jan 2002 (s 2(1) and gaz 2001, No GN49) Sch 1 (item 21): never commenced (s 2(3)) Sch 3 (items 3-7): never commenced (s 2(4))	Sch 1 (items 42, 43)
Health Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2003	84, 2003	23 Sept 2003	Sch 1 (items 1-39): 23 Sept 2003 (s 2(1) item 2)	Sch 1 (item 39)
Health Legislation Amendment (Podiatric Surgery and Other Matters) Act 2004	117, 2004	13 July 2004	Sch 1 (items 15, 16): 1 Feb 1996 (s 2(1) item 5)	--
Human Services Legislation Amendment Act 2005	111, 2005	6 Sept 2005	Sch 2 (items 92-203): 1 Oct 2005 (s 2(1) item 7)	--
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Amendment Act 2006	43, 2006	22 May 2006	22 May 2006 (s 2)	Sch 1 (item 3)
Human Services Legislation Amendment Act 2011	32, 2011	25 May 2011	Sch 4 (items 116-149): 1 July 2011 (s 2(1) item 3)	--
Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011	46, 2011	27 June 2011	Sch 2 (item 672) and Sch 3 (items 10, 11): 27 Dec 2011 (s 2(1) items  5, 12)	Sch 3 (items 10, 11)
Aged Care (Living Longer Living Better) Act 2013	76, 2013	28 June 2013	Sch 4 (items 8-10): 1 July 2014 (s 2(1) item 6)	--
Statute Law Revision Act (No. 1) 2014	31, 2014	27 May 2014	Sch 1 (items 40-42) and Sch 9 (item 18): 24 June 2014 (s 2(1) items 2, 9)	--
Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Health Card and Other Measures) Act 2014	98, 2014	11 Sept 2014	Sch 4 (item 15): 11 Sept 2014 (s 2(1) item 4)	--
Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2014	126, 2014	4 Dec 2014	Sch 2: 1 July 2015 (s 2(1) item 3)	Sch 2 (item 24)
Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015	10, 2015	5 Mar 2015	Sch 3 (items 160-162, 348, 349): 5 Mar 2016 (s 2(1) item 2)	Sch 3 (items 348, 349)
Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015	59, 2015	26 May 2015	Sch 2 (items 211, 212): 1 July 2016 (s 2(1) item 5) Sch 2 (items 356-396): 18 June 2015 (s 2(1) item 6)	Sch 2 (items 356-396)
as amended by
Territories Legislation Amendment Act 2016	33, 2016	23 Mar 2016	Sch 2: 24 Mar 2016 (s 2(1) item 2)	--
Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2015) Act 2016	47, 2016	5 May 2016	Sch 3: 2 June 2016 (s 2(1) item 3)	Sch 3 (item 8)
Health Insurance Amendment (Administration) Act 2020	106, 2020	26 Nov 2020	Sch 1 (items 1, 2): 27 Nov 2020 (s 2(1) item 1)	--
Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions No. 2) Act 2024	39, 2024	31 May 2024	Sch 9 (items 40-45): 14 Oct 2024 (s 2(1) item 2)	--

Endnote 4--Amendment history

 

Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
s 3.....................	am No 33, 1996; No 114, 1997; No 150, 2001; No 84, 2003; No 111, 2005; No  32, 2011; No 76, 2013; No 31, 2014; No 126, 2014; No 59, 2015; No 106, 2020
	ed C23
s. 4.....................	am. No. 114, 1997; No. 150, 2001; No. 43, 2006
s 6AA...................	ad No 59, 2015
s. 6A....................	ad. No. 111, 2001
Part 2
Division 1
s. 8.....................	am. No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
Division 2
Division 2 heading..........	rs. No. 114, 1997; No 126, 2014
s. 9.....................	am. No. 114, 1997; No 76, 2013; No 31, 2014; No 126, 2014
s. 10....................	am. No. 114, 1997; No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No.  32, 2011; No 126, 2014
Part 3
Division 1
s. 11....................	rs. No. 150, 2001
s. 12....................	am. No. 33, 1996
	rep. No. 150, 2001
s. 13....................	am. No. 33, 1996
	rs. No. 150, 2001
	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 14....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
ss. 15, 16.................	rep. No. 150, 2001
s. 17....................	am. No. 114, 1997; No. 150, 2001; No. 111, 2005; No. 43, 2006; No.  32, 2011; No 126, 2014
s 18....................	am No 33, 1996; No 150, 2001; No 84, 2003; No 111, 2005; No 43, 2006; No  32, 2011; No 47, 2016; No 39, 2024
s. 19....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 21....................	am. No. 114, 1997; No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 117, 2004; No.  111, 2005; No. 32, 2011; No 126, 2014
s. 22....................	am. No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 23....................	am. No. 33, 1996; No. 114, 1997; No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No.  32, 2011; No 126, 2014; No 47, 2016
s. 23A...................	ad. No. 150, 2001
	am. No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011; No 47, 2016
s 23B...................	ad. No. 150, 2001
	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011; No 126, 2014; No 47, 2016
s 23C...................	ad. No. 150, 2001
	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s 23D...................	ad No 150, 2001
	am No 111, 2005; No 32, 2011; No 39, 2024
s. 24....................	am. No. 33, 1996; No. 114, 1997; No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No.  117, 2004; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011; No 126, 2014
s. 25....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 26....................	am. Nos. 111 and 150, 2001; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
Division 2
s. 28....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 29....................	am. No. 150, 2001
s. 32....................	am. No. 33, 1996; No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No.  32, 2011; No 31, 2014
Division 2A
Division 2A...............	ad. No. 33, 1996
s. 33AA.................	ad. No. 150, 2001
	rep. No. 43, 2006
s. 33A...................	ad. No. 33, 1996
s. 33B...................	ad. No. 33, 1996
	am. No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 43, 2006; No 10, 2015
ss. 33C, 33D..............	ad. No. 33, 1996
	am. No. 150, 2001; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 33E...................	ad. No. 33, 1996
	am. No. 114, 1997
	rep. No. 150, 2001
ss. 33F, 33G...............	ad. No. 33, 1996
	rep. No. 150, 2001
s. 33H...................	ad. No. 33, 1996
	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 33J...................	ad. No. 33, 1996
s. 33K...................	ad. No. 33, 1996
	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
ss. 33L, 33M..............	ad. No. 33, 1996
Division 3
s. 34....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 35....................	am. No. 150, 2001; No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 36....................	am. No. 84, 2003; No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 38....................	am. No. 150, 2001
Part 4
Division 1
s. 39....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
ss. 40, 41.................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
Division 2
s 42....................	am No 114, 1997; No 150, 2001; No 111, 2005; No 32, 2011; No 76, 2013; No 31, 2014; No 98, 2014; No 106, 2020
s. 43....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011
s. 44....................	am. No. 111, 2001
Part 5
s. 46....................	am. No. 111, 2005; No. 32, 2011; No 46, 2011

Endnote 5--Editorial changes

In preparing this compilation for registration, the following kinds of editorial change(s) were made under the Legislation Act 2003.

Subsection 3(1)

Kind of editorial change

Reordering of definitions

Details of editorial change

This compilation was editorially changed to move the definition of amount of compensation in subsection 3(1) to the correct alphabetical position.