Section 19(2) Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) this section prohibits the payment of Medicare benefits where other government funding is provided for that service.

What it does

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) introduced the Section 19(2) Exemptions Initiative (the Initiative) - Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas Initiative in conjunction of the Better Health for All Australians Action Plan under the 2006-2007 Federal Budget process.

The Initiative provides for exemptions under s19(2) of the Act to allow exempted eligible sites to claim against the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for non-admitted, non-referred professional services (including nursing, midwifery, allied and dental services) provided in emergency departments and outpatient clinic settings.

Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory all participate in the Initiative through a bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth which are currently active until 31 December 2020.

Tasmania and Victoria originally elected not to be part of the Initiative under the original COAG agreement but remain eligible to participate.

What it Achieves?

The Initiative recognises that many patients in small rural and remote towns have limited access to primary health care services and that in response to a lack of private practices, many rural and remote public hospitals have employed medical officers to make traditional GP services available.

Eligibility Criteria

The 2016-2020 MoUs have been updated to a single criterion that requires an eligible public health site to be located within categories five to seven of the Modified Monash Model (MMM) classification system. The MoU also allows for sites to be phased out over an eighteen month period where they are deemed no longer to be eligible.

The following hospitals and health services have been approved under the Initiative:

State and Territories	Eligible hospitals and health services
South Australia	No active sites as at 25 July 2019
Queensland	Babinda Hospital Barcaldine Multipurpose Health Service Biggenden Multi-Purpose Health Service Blackall Hospital Blackwater Multipurpose Health Service Boulia Primary Health Centre Capella Outpatients Clinic Cardwell Community Health Centre Childers Multipurpose Health Service Chillagoe Primary Health Centre Chinchilla Health Service Collinsville Hospital Dimbulah Primary Health Centre Dirranbandi Multipurpose Health Service Eidsvold Health Service Gayndah Hospital Gemfields Outpatient Clinic Gin Gin Hospital Hughenden Health Centre Inglewood Multipurpose Health Service Injune Health Service Isisford Primary Health Centre Jandowae Health Services Jundah Primary Healthcare Service Longreach Hospital Miles Health Service Millmerran Health Service Mitchell Hospital Monto Health Service Mossman Multipurpose Health Service Mundubbera Health Service Mungindi Multipurpose Health Service Oakey Health Services – Oakey Hospital Proserpine Hospital and Community Health Centre Quilpie Multipurpose Health Service Richmond Health Centre Springsure Multipurpose Health Service Stanthorpe Hospital Surat Hospital Tambo Primary Health Care Centre Tara Hospital Taroom Hospital Tully Hospital Wallumbilla Health Service Windorah Primary Healthcare Centre Winton Multipurpose Health Service
Northern Territory	Adelaide River Health Centre Batchelor Health Centre Gove District Hospital Jabiru Community Health Centre Tennant Creek Hospital Yulara Health Service
Western Australia	Carnarvon Hospital Derby Hospital Exmouth Health Service Fitzroy Crossing Health Service Halls Creek Hospital Kununurra District Hospital Laverton District Hospital Leonora District Hospital Meekatharra Hospital Norseman District Hospital Onslow Hospital Plantagenet – Cranbrook Health Service Shark Bay Nursing Post Warmun Health Clinic Wyndham District Hospital
New South Wales	Barham Multi-Purpose Service Batlow Multi-Purpose Service Berrigan Health Service Bingara Multipurpose Service Boorowa Multipurpose Service Coolamon Multipurpose Service Culcairn Multipurpose Service Dungog Community Hospital Finley Health Service Gloucester Soldiers Memorial Hospital & Gloucester Community Health Centre Gundagai Health (Multipurpose) Service Guyra Multipurpose Service Hay Hospital Henty Multipurpose Service Hillston Hospital and Health Service Holbrook Hospital Jerilderie Hospital and Health Service Junee Multi-Purpose Service Kyogle Multipurpose Service Lake Cargelligo Hospital and Health Service Lockhart Hospital and Health Service Manilla Multipurpose Service Merriwa Multipurpose Service Murrumburrah-Harden Hospital and Health Service Narrandera Health Service Nimbin Multipurpose Service Nyngan Hospital and Community Health Service Scott Memorial Hospital Scone and Scone Community Health Centre Temora Health Service Tocumwal Health Service Tumbarumba Multipurpose Service Urana Health Multipurpose Service Urbenville Multipurpose Service/li> Warialda Multi-Purpose Service Wee Waa Community Hospital & Wee Waa Community Health Centre Wentworth Health Services West Wyalong Hospital Wilson Memorial Community Hospital Murrurundi & Murrurundi Community Health Centre

Further Information

Please contact your health department in your State or Territory.