19ABAMedicare benefits not payable in respect of services rendered by doctors who breach certain contracts with the Commonwealth

#### 19ABA Medicare benefits not payable in respect of services rendered by doctors who breach certain contracts with the Commonwealth (1) Despite section 19AA, a medicare benefit is not payable in respect of a professional service rendered by, or on behalf of, a medical practitioner who has breached a contract with the Commonwealth under which the practitioner agreed to work in a rural or remote area. (2) The period during which medicare benefits are not payable under subsection (1) is a period equal to twice the length of the period that the practitioner agreed, under the contract, to work in the rural or remote area or such shorter period as is determined in, or in accordance with, the contract. (3) Subsections (1) and (2) apply whether or not the medical practitioner referred to in those subsections was a medical practitioner at the time of entering the contract or at the time of the breach. Application (4) This section applies to contracts entered into after the commencement of this section. (5) If the contract is a contract with the Commonwealth (as represented by the Department) for a Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (including such a contract as varied from time to time) then this section applies in relation to a breach of the contract that occurs before the commencement of this subsection but it does not apply in relation to a breach of the contract that occurs after that commencement.