ADA to assist with development of New Access Card.
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Australian Government is working towards the introduction of a health benefits, veteran and social services access card which will replace up to 17 existing Australian Government benefits cards and vouchers (including the current Medicare card).
It is said that the new access card system will utilise smart card technology to streamline and modernise the delivery of Australian Government health benefits and veterans' and social services.
The access card system will be implemented from late 2008. From 2010, customers of Centrelink, Medicare Australia, Australian Hearing Services, Office of Hearing Services, Health Services Australia Limited, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Human Services (including the Child Support Agency and CRS Australia) will need to register for the access card in order to receive health benefits and veteran and social services from these agencies or providers of these services. It will otherwise not be compulsory to carry or produce the access card, although card holders that claim concessions may be asked to provide their card to show their concessional status.
The implementation of the access card will not impact on eligibility for health benefits, veteran and social services, unless people are identified as being engaged in fraud. The Department of Human Services will administer the Card and only the Commonwealth will be able to change any of the information contained within the Card.
Further information on the access card can be found at:
www.accesscard.gov.au Dr Carmelo Bonanno, Federal Councillor and Federal Executive member, has been appointed as the ADA’s representative on a group that will assist government with business modelling in relation to the development of the Access Card. The government wants to consult with the ADA regarding matters that may impact on the dental profession in relation to the Access Card development.
Discussions will centre upon:
• the processes used when dealing with patients, including
veteran and general community patients;
• the role played by the various cards in that process; and
• how dentists bill and are paid, for both veteran and general
community patients.
Reports on developments will be provided in future editions of the News Bulletin or via the website at
www.ada.org.au.