Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Treatment Principles Amendment (Sustainability Payments) Determination 2024

I, Matthew James Keogh, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, approve for the purposes of subsection 286(6) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, the amendments by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission of the MRCA Treatment Principles in the following instrument.

Dated 25 of  June 2024

Matthew James Keogh
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, under subsection 286(5) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, makes the amendments of the MRCA Treatment Principles in the following instrument.

Dated 20 of  June 2024

The Seal of the

Military Rehabilitation and

Compensation Commission

was affixed to this instrument

in the presence of:

Contents

1  Name

2  Commencement

3  Authority

4  Schedules

Schedule 1—Amendments

MRCA Treatment Principles

1  Name

  This instrument is the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Treatment Principles Amendment (Sustainability Payments) Determination 2024.

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences on the day after the day it is registered.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under subsection 286(5) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

4  Schedules

  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

MRCA Treatment Principles

1        Paragraph 1.4.1, definition of “approved provider” (first occurring)

after

“approved provider”

insert

, in relation to the MRCA Home Care Program (Part 7.3A),

2        After subpart 7.3

insert

7.3AA Sustainability payments—community nursing

7.3AA.1 This subpart deals with a quarterly payment made to a community nursing provider (a sustainability payment):

(a) for the costs incurred by the provider in delivering care coordination and management necessary for the provision of a community nursing service in a quarter taking place between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2026 (the service period); and

(b) that is to be paid:

(i) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of the quarter, within the service period, for the costs incurred in the quarter; and

(ii) between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2026.

7.3AA.2 The Commission will, on its own initiative, pay a sustainability payment to a community nursing provider, for a quarter within the service period, if:

(a) the provider delivered a community nursing service to an entitled person in accordance with this Part at any time during the quarter; and

(b) the service was delivered under an agreement with the Commission that was in force at the time the eligibility for the payment is determined.

7.3AA.3 A sustainability payment for a quarter within the service period that is payable to a community nursing provider under paragraph 7.3AA.2 is worked out using the following steps:

(a) work out the number of entitled people who received a community nursing service:

(i) from the provider in each calendar month during the quarter; and

(ii) for which the Commission has accepted financial responsibility;

(b) multiply the number worked out under paragraph (a) by the amount determined, in writing, by the Commission for this paragraph.

7.3AA.4 To remove any doubt, for the purposes of paragraph 7.3AA.3(a), an entitled person is counted once for a calendar month even if the person received a community nursing service from a particular provider on more than one occasions in the calendar month.

3        After subpart 7.3A

insert

7.3B Sustainability payments—MRCA Home Care Program

7.3B.1 This subpart deals with a quarterly payment made to an approved provider for the MRCA Home Care Program (a sustainability payment):

(a) for the costs incurred by the provider in delivering care coordination and management necessary for the provision of a service under the program in a quarter taking place between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2026 (the service period); and

(b) that is to be paid:

(i) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of the quarter, within the service period, for the costs incurred in the quarter; and

(ii) between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2026.

7.3B.2 The Commission will, on its own initiative, pay a sustainability payment to an approved provider, for a quarter within the service period, if:

(a) the provider delivered a service under the program to an entitled person in accordance with this Part at any time during the quarter; and

(b) the service was delivered under an agreement with the Commission that was in force at the time the eligibility for the payment is determined.

7.3B.3 A sustainability payment for a quarter within the service period that is payable to an approved provider under paragraph 7.3B.2 is worked out using the following steps:

(a) work out the number of entitled people who received a service under the program:

(i) from the provider in each calendar month during the quarter; and

(ii) for which the Commission has accepted financial responsibility;

(b) multiply the number worked out under paragraph (a) by the amount determined, in writing, by the Commission for this paragraph.

7.3B.4 To remove any doubt, for the purposes of paragraph 7.3B.3(a), an entitled person is counted once for a calendar month even if the person received a service under the program from a particular provider on more than one occasions in the calendar month.