The submission warns against possible overreach in a proposed amendment.
We have expressed serious concerns regarding the proposed Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 currently under Senate Committee review.
The AMA supports the Bill's intention to enhance vigilance against fraud in the Medicare system. However, we question whether the proposed changes will upset the balanced governance achieved by current clear legislative demarcation in the powers conferred on regulatory bodies.
We emphasise the need to distinguish between deliberate fraud and inadvertent non-compliance and highlight concerns about specific provisions that may have unintended outcomes and require further evaluation.
The provisions we are chiefly concerned about were added to the Bill and passed in the House of Representatives on 5 February 2025, despite not being recommended by the Philip Review, leaving limited opportunity for comment. The Senate is yet to vote on the Bill.
Our submission focuses on a disproportionate expansion to powers of investigation that fundamentally alter the nature and role of health practitioner regulatory bodies.
The AMA remains committed to working with the government to ensure legislative changes achieve the intended balance without overreaching.
