21Payments to contracted service providers

21 Payments to contracted service providers

(1) An agreement under section 20 may provide for amounts to be paid by the Commonwealth to a contracted service provider. This subsection does not limit subsection 20(2). (2) A payment referred to in subsection (1) must not be paid unless: (a) a claim for the payment is given to the claims acceptance body; and (b) the claims acceptance body accepts the claim on behalf of the Commonwealth. (3) The claims acceptance body may authorise a claim for payment to be given to the claims acceptance body in accordance with specified software requirements: (a) on a specified kind of data processing device; or (b) by way of a specified kind of electronic transmission. (4) A payment referred to in subsection (1) may be made by the claims payment body on behalf of the Commonwealth. (6) The Minister may, by writing, declare that a specified body is the claims acceptance body for the purposes of this section. The declaration has effect accordingly. (7) The Minister may, by writing, declare that a specified body is the claims payment body for the purposes of this section. The declaration has effect accordingly. (8) This section does not prevent the claims acceptance body from being the same body as the claims payment body. (9) The Minister must not make a determination under subsection (6) or (7) in relation to an incorporated company unless the company consents to the making of the determination. (10) In this section:

body means:

(a) the Department; or
(b) an authority of the Commonwealth; or
(c) an incorporated company; or
(d) the Chief Executive Medicare.