Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Medical Device and Human Tissue Product List and Cost Recovery) Bill 2022 & others

The majority voted against a second reading amendment moved by ACT Senator David Pocock (Independent), which means it failed. It would have amended the wording of the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (known as agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add "and that the order of the Senate of 25 March 1999, relating to an order for the production of periodic reports by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on private health insurance, be varied as follows:

(1) There be laid on the table as soon as practicable after the end of each period of 12 months ending on or after 30 June 2023, a report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission containing an assessment of any anticompetitive or other practices by health funds or providers which reduce the extent of health cover for consumers and increase their out-of-pocket medical and other expenses.

(2) Each report must also include:

(a) an assessment of the savings on prostheses that are being achieved through the operation of the Memorandum of Understanding for the policy parameters of the Prostheses List Reforms between the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Medical Technology Association of Australia, signed on 14 March 2022; and

(b) an assessment of the extent to which these savings are being passed onto consumers by private health insurers.".