Health Insurance Commission
HIC
1974 – 1 October 2005
Renamed Medicare Australia in 2005.
Statutory authority that administered Medibank from 1975 and Medicare from 1984, paying medical benefits, processing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims and running other health payment programs and registers; it also operated the Medibank Private health fund from 1976 to 1998.
Names over time
- Health Insurance Commission1974–2005
- Medicare Australia2005–2011
How it came into existence
Established in 1974 under the Health Insurance Commission Act 1973, one of the Medibank bills passed at the joint sitting of Parliament in August 1974.
Legislation: Health Insurance Commission Act 1973
Changes during its life
- 1 July 1975Began paying medical benefits under Medibank, the universal health insurance scheme.
- 1 October 1976Began operating the Medibank Private health insurance fund under the revised Medibank arrangements.
- 1 February 1984Began administering Medicare, the new universal health insurance scheme.
- 26 October 2004Moved from the Health and Ageing portfolio to the new Human Services portfolio.
- Medibank Private health insurance fund
How it ended
Renamed Medicare Australia on 1 October 2005 under the Human Services Legislation Amendment Act 2005, which replaced its board with a chief executive officer.
Main functions
- Payment of Medicare (earlier Medibank) benefits
- Processing of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims
- Operation of the Medibank Private health fund (1976–1998)
- Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and Australian Organ Donor Register
- Payments under health incentive programs
Where it sits
Last in the portfolio of Department of Human Services.
Lineage
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Sources
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.