9.1Admission to a hospital or institution

9.1 Admission to a hospital or institution

9.1.1 Subject to these Principles, the Commission will accept financial responsibility for the provision of treatment to entitled persons at a hospital or an institution.

9.1.2 The Commission will not approve, or accept financial responsibility for, admission to a hospital or an institution if:

(b) the person could have been provided with suitable outpatient treatment; or

(c) the person could have been suitably cared for at home, with or without supporting community health care services, unless the admission would provide respite for a carer of an entitled person.

9.1.3 Notwithstanding other provisions of these Principles, the Commission will accept financial responsibility for the emergency admission to the nearest hospital of an entitled person for treatment if an office of the Department is notified on the first working day after the admission, or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable if that admission is to a private hospital requiring prior approval as set out in Part 3 of these Principles.

9.1.4 Where hospital treatment of an entitled person has been arranged under these Principles, and the person’s partner is an inpatient at another hospital within reasonable proximity, the Commission may arrange the admission or transfer of the person to the hospital at which the person’s partner is an inpatient.

9.1.5 If such arrangements are made under paragraph 9.1.4, the Commission will accept financial responsibility for the hospital treatment of the entitled person.

9.1.6 The Commission will accept financial responsibility for the admission of an entitled person to a Tier 2 or Tier 3 hospital, as set out in Principle 2 of the MPPPs, only if prior approval for the admission is obtained.

9.1.7 When giving consideration of prior approval under paragraph 9.1.6, the Commission will have regard to the matters set out in paragraph 3.2.2 and in Principle 2 of the MPPPs.

9.1.8 Subject to this Part, the Commission will accept financial responsibility for inpatient treatment of an entitled person in a country or a Territory public hospital or in a private hospital with which arrangements have been previously agreed with the Commission and according to the preferences and requirements set out in Part 3 of these Principles and in Principle 2 of the RPPPs.

9.1.9 The Commission’s approval is required before it will accept financial responsibility for the admission to hospital, or for hospital treatment, of entitled persons in all other circumstances.

9.1.10 Where prior approval is required, the Commission will not accept financial responsibility for any additional charges where an admission for treatment is arranged according to these Principles and then non-Medicare Benefits Schedule surgery or cosmetic surgery is performed subsequently without the Commission's approval.