Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024N00334:body:0:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024N00334
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 5445–6755

worker or their spouse or de facto partner due to being incapacitated; and any dependent child of a child or step-child as described here.

Extending access to Medicare for this cohort will support the objective of ensuring families of PALM scheme participants have a positive experience in Australia. PALM scheme workers are often engaged in lower skilled and lower wage roles than other temporary workers. Without access to Medicare, families reunited in Australia through family accompaniment may face hardship that could jeopardise the success of their work placement and the objectives of the family accompaniment policy.

Through this Ministerial Order, the Medicare eligibility of workers and their family members will be enlivened on and from the day of arrival in Australia of a family member or members under the family accompaniment policy for the duration of their participation in the family accompaniment pilot.

The Health Insurance (Eligible persons – Participants in the family accompaniment pilot under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme) Order 2024 will take effect from 30 April 2024. However, no person will have their rights, as existing at the time the order takes effect, affected so as to disadvantage them, or liabilities imposed on them, other than the Commonwealth.