The Act means the Health Insurance Act 1973.

AHPRA means the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

AMA means the Australian Medical Association.

APS means the Australian Public Service.

CDM means Chronic Disease Management.

Committee means a Professional Services Review Committee comprising at least three practitioners appointed under s. 93 of the Act.

Committee member means a member of a PSR Committee, who must be a current PSR Panel member.

Deputy Director means a deputy director of PSR appointed under s. 85 of the Act who serves as the chair of a Committee.

Determining Authority means the independent statutory body established under s. 106Q of the Act.

Director means the Director of PSR appointed under s. 83 of the Act.

Draft determination means the draft document detailing what action is proposed to be taken in a case, as required by s. 106T of the Act.

Draft report means the preliminary findings of a Committee following a hearing, as required by s. 106KD of the Act.

Final determination means the final document detailing what action will be taken in a case, as required by s. 106TA of the Act.

GP means general practitioner.

Inappropriate practice is defined under s. 82 of the Act as conduct in connection with rendering or initiating services that a Committee of the practitioner’s peers could reasonably conclude was unacceptable to the general body of their profession.

IT means information technology.

MBS means the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

Medicare means the Medicare program administered by the Department of Human Services.

Medicare services means services provided by a practitioner that generated a Medicare benefit.

Minister means the Australian Government Minister for Health.

Negotiated agreement means a written agreement made under s. 92 of the Act.

Panel means the Professional Services Review Panel established under subsection 84(1) of the Act, members of which are available for appointment to a Committee.

Panel member means a practitioner appointed under subsection 84(2) of the Act.

PBS means the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Peers means the members of the PSR Panel who are appointed to represent the general body of their profession.

PGPA Act means the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Practitioner means a health professional who can access the Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits schemes, and includes a:

• medical practitioner
• dental practitioner
• optometrist
• midwife
• nurse practitioner
• chiropractor
• physiotherapist
• podiatrist
• osteopath.

PSR means Professional Services Review.

Ratify means to authorise or approve. This term is used when the Determining Authority is deciding whether an agreement with the Director will come into effect.

Sanction means a direction from a range of directions specified in s. 106U of the Act.