Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:C2025C00156:section:20:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:C2025C00156
Segment Type: section
Provision Reference: s 20 (pt 1/2)
Character Range: 216084–218563

20  Persons entitled to medicare benefit
 (1) Subject to this Part, medicare benefit in respect of a professional service is payable by the Chief Executive Medicare on behalf of the Commonwealth to the person who incurs the medical expenses in respect of that service.
 (1A) Subject to subsections (2) and (2A), medicare benefit payable under subsection (1) shall be paid in such manner as the Chief Executive Medicare determines.
 (1B) Without limiting subsection (1A), a determination under that subsection may provide for a medicare benefit that is payable under subsection (1) to be paid, in such circumstances and subject to such conditions as are prescribed by the regulations, by means of the electronic transmission of the amount of the benefit to an account kept with a bank.
 (2) Where a person to whom a medicare benefit is payable under subsection (1) in respect of a professional service has not paid the medical expenses that he or she has incurred in respect of that professional service, he or she shall not be paid the medicare benefit but, if he or she so requests, there shall, in lieu of that payment, be given to him or her personally, or sent to him or her by post at his or her last‑known address, a cheque for the amount of the medicare benefit drawn in favour of the person by whom, or on whose behalf, the professional service was rendered.
 (2A) If:
 (a) section 10AC, 10ACA, 10AD or 10ADA applies to a claim for medicare benefit in respect of a professional service; and
 (b) the person to whom the medicare benefit is payable under subsection (1) in respect of the professional service has paid a part, but not the whole, of the medical expenses that he or she has incurred in respect of that professional service;
then:
 (c) if the medicare benefit is less than, or equal to, the unpaid amount—he or she is not to be paid the medicare benefit but, if he or she so requests, there will, in lieu of that payment, be given to him or her personally, or sent to him or her by post at his or her last‑known address, a cheque for the amount of the medicare benefit drawn in favour of the person by whom, or on whose behalf, the professional service was rendered; or
 (d) if the medicare benefit exceeds the unpaid amount—he or she is not to be paid so much of the medicare benefit as is equal to the unpaid amount but, if he or she so requests, there will, in lieu of that payment, be given to him or her personally, or sent to him or her by post at his or