Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I move Democrats amendment (1) on sheet 5212:

(1)    Page 4 (after line 10), after clause 3-30, insert:

3-35  Review of operation of Act

        (1)    The Minister must cause an independent review of the operation of this Act to be completed by 1 April 2009.

        (2)    In conducting the review, consideration must be given to:

             (a)    an examination of the extent to which broader health cover has eroded universalism in healthcare and contributed to inequity in access to services between those with private health insurance and those without; and

             (b)    an audit of health insurance products to identify any that provide financial or other incentives that are contrary to the principle of community rating; and

             (c)    an assessment of the adequacy of the standard information statements arrangements in assisting consumers to compare private health insurance products.

        (3)    The person undertaking the review must give the Minster a written report of the review.

        (4)    The Minister must cause a copy of the report of the review to be tabled in both Houses of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of receiving the report.

This amendment would put in place an independent review of the operation of the act, to be completed by 2009—two years time. Again, because of the very significant change that this bill represents, we think that a review is going to be important and that a two-year time frame is appropriate. It is an amendment we have put many times in this place and we would urge the government to accept it.