EmailHospital Circular 21/1998
Date Issued:
30 November, 1998
Publication: 21/1998
Contact:
Regional Office
Distribution: Public Hospitals, Extended Care Centres
Subject/s:
- Day only arrangements - adjustments
- Patient classification schedule - changes
- Nursing Home Type Patients (NHTPs) in public hospitals- change in patient contribution
- Neo-natal facilities - approvals
- Acute Care Certificates
- Circulars on the Internet
1. Day only arrangements - adjustments
The release of the 1 November 1998 Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) will affect the day only arrangements. Accordingly, some adjustments have been made to the Type B non-band specific list (day only) and the Type C (exclusion) lists, effective 1 November 1998, as set out Commonwealth Circular No. HBF 541.
Accordingly please make the following change to the Fees and Charges for Acute Health Services in Victoria: A Handbook for Public Hospitals: Same Day Patients: replace page 4 with the attached page 4, and replace the Type B and Type C listings with those in Circular No. HBF 541.
A tear-off purchase form to order to obtain an electronic disk version of the Day Only Procedures Manual, from the Commonwealth, is also enclosed in Circular No. HBF 541. The Commonwealth Internet site for the Day Only Manual Procedures Manual is available.
Circular HBF No. 541 is available on the Commonwealth Internet site.
For enquiries on the 'Type B' and Type C' procedure lists; Day Only Procedures Manual, and Internet site addresses, you can contact the Health Insurance Services Section, Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care via their 24 hour answering machine service (02) 6289 8786 or E-Mail the enquiry to his@health.gov.au
2. Patient classification schedule
The attached Commonwealth Circular HBF 544 advises of changes to the patients classification schedule for fund benefit proposes, resulting from amendments to the Medicare Benefits Schedule. These changes are effective 1 November 1998. Accordingly please make the following update to the Fees and Charges for Acute Health Services in Victoria: A Handbook for Public Hospitals: Patient Classification Schedule replace page 3 and the attached Patient Classification Schedule, of part 1, Fees for Admitted Patients, with the enclosed updates.
Circular HBF No. 544 is also available on the Commonwealth Internet site
3. Nursing Home Type Patients (NHTPs) in public hospitals- change in patient contribution
The Commonwealth Government has advised that in September 1998 the standard rate pension increased. As a result the Victorian Department of Human Services has increased its NHT patient contribution to $27.05 per day, effective 1 November 1998. Accordingly please make the following updates to the Fees and Charges for Acute Health Services in Victoria: A Handbook for Public Hospitals: Nursing Home Type Patients replace page 23, in part 1, Fees for Admitted Patients with the attached page 23.
Circular HBF No. 543 is the Commonwealth Circular from which the NHTP information above, and neo-natal facilities advice below, were sourced.
4. Neo-natal facilities - approvals
The Commonwealth has advised that the following public hospitals have had their neo-natal facilities approved for health benefit purposes for three years effective from 23 September 1998.
The
Northern Hospital Provider Number: 0030940W
185
Cooper Street
EPPING
VIC 3076
Dandenong
Hospital Provider Number: 0030310B
David
Street
DANDENONG
VIC 3175
5. Acute care certificates
The Commonwealth advises that the Acute Care Advisory Committee (ACAC) has advised that there is some confusion about the status of Acute Care Certificates (ACCs) which are related to an episode of patient care for which a previous or subsequent ACC has been revoked.
The revocation of an ACC only applies to that particular certificate and does not automatically invalidate any other certificates related to the same episode of care. Each ACC must be revoked separately if benefits are to be denied.
Health funds are legally obliged to pay benefits for any certificate which has not been revoked by the ACAC. Therefore, health funds must forward related certificates to the ACAC for review, as soon as they are received, or pay the relevant acute care benefit.
If you require further information please telephone: (02) 6289 8786 - 24 hour answering service or E-mail the enquiry to: his@health.gov.au
6. Circulars on the Internet
The Department recognises there can be delays on-passing Commonwealth advice about fees, charges and benefits, to public hospitals, via mailed out Acute Health Circulars. You may access that advice earlier, by regularly looking up the Commonwealth Health and Aged Care Health Insurance Services Circulars Internet sites. The Department believes this can be of considerable practical benefit to both you and your hospital.
You should note that not all Commonwealth circulars at these sites are relevant to each hospital, for example, advice about the opening of a private hospital; benefits applicable to other States; or information intended for Health Funds (private health insurers). Hard copies of the State's Acute Health Circulars will continue to convey information relevant to public hospitals by mail.
You should note it is envisaged that during 1999 (provisionally July 1999), State Department Acute Health Circulars pertaining to fees and charges, and the related Fees Manual, will be available on the Internet only, and that hard copy distribution will cease. Accordingly the Department encourages all relevant hospital staff to become Internet literate. Relevant staff might include Hospital Information Mangers (formerly known as Medical Record Administrators), Finance Officers, and Admission/Discharge Officers.
Technical enquiries on how to use the Internet, including how to print, download, bookmark, and receive automatic notification of new entires, should be directed to your in-house hospital staff.
For enquiries on the above Internet site addresses, you can contact the Health Insurance Services Section, Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care via their 24 hour answering machine service (02) 6289 8786 or E-Mail the enquiry to his@health.gov.au
For queries on application of Commonwealth Circulars, Divisional Managers can contact Network Officers/Rural Regional Officers, or alternatively, wait for the standard Acute Health Circular to be mailed. (The nature of Commonwealth advice generally covers Day Only Arrangements - Type B and Type C listings, Nursing Home Type Patient contributions, Prostheses benefits, Patient Classification schedule, public hospital facility approvals for benefit purposes. In contrast State-level announcements generally refer to Compensable patients, DVA, and non-admitted patients fees and charges. Both level announcements are contained in the State Department's standard Acute Health Circulars).
The Department of Human Services contact for technical enquiries is Mr Warwick Bullen, Acute Health, Ph: (03) 96168425 Fax: (03) 96167330 E-Mail warwick.bullen@dhs.vic.gov.au
DR
CHRIS BROOK
DIRECTOR
ACUTE HEALTH
