DVA Regulatory Plan

DVA Business Regulation Changes 2008-09

Nil

DVA Proposed Business Regulation Changes 2009-10 

Rationalising notes for providers

Notes for Providers are documents that set out the basic rules governing the business relationship between DVA and health care providers.  They are incorporated-by-reference into the legislative instrument known as the Treatment Principles.

There are three sets of Treatment Principles:

• The Treatment Principles (made under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986);
• The MRCA Treatment Principles (made under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004); and
• The Treatment Principles (Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests) 2006 (made under the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006).

At present there are 12 sets of Notes for the various health care providers.  It is proposed to streamline and consolidate the various Notes by assembling requirements common to all the relevant occupations and incorporating these requirements in approximately 4 sets of notes, with some sets applying to a number of different health care occupations.

Consultation opportunities

Relevant representative bodies will be consulted.

Expected Timetable

June 2010.

Contact for further information 

Gabrielle Dogan
Phone: (08) 8290 0258
Fax: (08) 8290 0379
Email: gabrielle.dogan@dva.gov.au

Industries affected

Health and Community Services

This proposal will bring transport providers under the DVA statutory registration scheme.  Most health care providers are already covered by the scheme.  Essentially, instead of transport providers needing to enter into a contract with DVA in order to be paid for transporting entitled persons, they’ll need to comply with the conditions set out in the Treatment Principles (see above).

Consultation opportunities 

Relevant representative bodies will be consulted.

Expected Timetable

March 2010

Contact for further information

Peter Wallace
Phone: (02) 6289 6060
Fax: (02) 6289 6437
Email: peter.wallace@dva.gov.au

Industries affected

Transport Providers

Extending Time Limit For treatment claims

At present health-care providers have 6 months in which to lodge claims for treating DVA clients.  This requirement is set out in the Treatment Principles (see above).  There is provision for the Repatriation Commission/Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to extend the time for lodging a claim.

It is proposed to increase the initial period for lodging claims to 5 years with claims outside this period considered in special circumstances.

Consultation opportunities

Relevant representative bodies will be consulted.

Expected timetable

June 2010.

Contact details

Will Hanham
Phone:(02) 6289 4896
Fax:(02) 6289 4727
Email: will.hanham@dva.gov.au

Industries affected

Health and Community Services

At present only prescriptions for pharmaceuticals written by medical practitioners are accepted under DVA’s three pharmaceutical benefits schemes.

Those schemes are:

• The Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (made under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986);
• The MRCA Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (made under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004); and
• The Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests) 2006 (made under the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006).

In conjunction with an identical proposal being developed by the Federal Department of Health and Ageing it is proposed that Nurse Practitioners and Midwives be permitted to prescribe certain pharmaceuticals for entitled persons under DVA’s pharmaceutical benefits schemes.

The aim of the proposal is to relieve some of the pressure on medical practitioners by enabling nurse practitioners and midwives to prescribe certain pharmaceuticals.  Further, the proposal could enable pharmaceuticals to be provided to entitled persons more quickly.

Consultation opportunities

Relevant representative bodies will be consulted.

Expected timetable

December 2009.

Contact details

Helen Joung
Phone: (02) 6289 6042
Fax: (02) 6289 4727
Email: will.hanham@dva.gov.au

Industries affected