Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01344:body:0:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01344
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 6798–9992

before the person is admitted.

         private hospital means premises that have been declared to be:
                (a) a private hospital for the purposes of the Health Insurance Act 1973; or
                (b) a day hospital facility for the purposes of the National Health Act 1953.

    private health insurer has the meaning it has in the Private Health Insurance Act 2007.

         private patient has the meaning given by subsection 90A (8) of the Act.

         public hospital means a hospital operated by a State or Territory or by the Commonwealth.

revoked Repatriation Private Patient Principles means the Repatriation Private Patient Principles 2004 No.R17.

Treatment Principles means the document prepared by the Commission under section 90 of the Act that sets out the circumstances in which, and conditions subject to which, treatment may be provided to entitled persons.

         veteran partnering private hospital means a contracted private hospital that is described as a "veteran partnering private hospital" in its arrangement with the Commission under subsection 89(1) of the Act.

Note:  other Tier 1 status hospitals which have similar partnering arrangements are public hospitals and former Repatriation Hospitals.

         Vietnam veteran means a person described in subsection 85(9) of the Act.

1.3 Private patient status

An entitled person is to receive hospital care as a private patient — which entitles the person to:

         (a) the patient's choice of doctor, subject to the doctor having practising rights at the relevant hospital; and
    (b) shared accommodation; or
         (c) if medically necessary, private accommodation; or
         (d) private accommodation, if available, where the entitled person or the person's private health insurer agrees to pay the difference between the cost of shared accommodation and the cost of private accommodation for the person; or
         (e) on and after 1 July 2016, private accommodation, if available, in a contracted private hospital.

2. Order of preference for admission to hospital

2.1 Order of preference

Preference for admission is to be in accordance with the following table:

Level                    Preference  Hospital
Tier 1                   first       former Repatriation Hospital, public hospital, or veteran partnering private hospital
Tier 2                   second      The Contracted private hospital is not required to seek prior approval for a referral for services specified in the contract, chargeable to DVA, from a Tier 1 hospital.  The Contracted private hospital must seek prior approval for all other admissions.
(special authorisation)
Tier 2                   second      Contracted private hospital
Tier 3                   third       Non-Contracted private hospital

2.2 Objective

The main objective of these Principles is to provide an entitled person with access to the nearest suitable hospital.

3. Prior approval not required

3.1 Medical specialist treatment

A medical specialist or Local Medical Officer may, without prior approval, refer an entitled person to a medical specialist for treatment as a private patient (whether that