Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

I present an explanatory memorandum to this bill.

I thank all those members who have spoken on this issue. It's one we often overlook if we're not involved within the sector or the industry. We often forget about the impact it has on the social, emotional and mental health state of an individual.

The National Health Amendment (Decisions under the Continence Aids Payment Scheme) Bill 2021 makes amendments to the National Health Act 1953 to expressly provide for the Continence Aids Payment Scheme Instrument 2020, the CAPS instrument, to confer review functions on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the AAT.

On 16 January 2021, the CAPS instrument was amended by the Continence Aids Payment Scheme Amendment (Merits Review) Instrument 2020 to provide for internal review of decisions by the Secretary of the Department of Health under the CAPS instrument.

The merits review instrument also enables CAPS participants or their nominated organisation affected by the secretary's internal review decision to apply for an independent merits review by the AAT of the initial review decision made by the secretary.

The bill's amendments to the act will validate AAT review decisions made under the CAPS instrument.

I thank members for their contributions, and commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

See this speech in context