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Dental Charges Regulation 1969

Dental Charges Act 1969
Public Hospitals (Charges) Act 1972
This reprint of this Statutory Instrument incorporates all amendments, if any, made before25 November 2006 and in force at  1 July 2001.

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Legislative Counsel
Dated 25 November 2006

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Chapter 104.

Dental Charges Regulation 1969

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS.

Dental Charges Regulation 1969

MADE under the Dental Charges Act 1969.

Dated                   200 .

1. INTERPRETATION.

In the Regulation, unless the contrary intention appears–

“child”, in relation to a person, includes an adopted child, a step-child and an ex-nuptial child of the person;

“family” means a household consisting of a man, his wife and dependent children under the age of 21 years, or any of them;

“gross family income”, in relation to a member of a family, means the total of the chargeable incomes of all the members of the family;

“in-patient” means a patient who occupies a bed in a ward of a public hospital;

“major operation” means an operation performed by a consultant dental officer or a specialist dental officer;

“minor operation” means an operation other than a major operation;

“public hospital” means a hospital declared to be a public hospital under the Public Hospitals (Charges) Act 1972.

2. APPLICATION.

This Regulation applies only to and in respect of dental services supplied–

(a) at the institutions or centres specified by the Head of State, acting on advice, by notice in the National Gazette for the purposes of this Regulation; and

(b) outside such institutions or centres by a dental officer employed by the State.

3. FEES GENERALLY.

^[1](1) Subject to this Regulation, the fee to be paid to the State by a person for a dental or other service specified in the second column of Schedule 1 supplied to that person by or on behalf of the State is the fee specified in the third column of that Schedule in relation to the service.

(2)^{[2] [3]}Where a person’s gross family income does not exceed K7,000.00 per annum, the fees specified in Schedule 2 apply in respect of the services specified in that Schedule.

(3) Before charging a fee by reference to Schedule 2 the person responsible for calculating the amount of the fee payable may require such evidence (if any) as he considers desirable as to the amount of the gross family income of the person concerned.

(4) A person aggrieved by a decision that his gross family income exceeds K5,000.00 may appeal to a District Court or Local Court.

(5) A fee of K5.00 may be charged where a patient fails to keep an appointment.

4. CERTAIN SERVICES FREE.

No fee is payable under this Regulation in respect of dental services supplied to a pupil enrolled in the School Dental Service.

5. FEES FOR SURGICAL OPERATIONS.

(1) Subject to Subsection (2), where two or more operations referred to in Part IV of Schedule 1 or 2 are performed on an in-patient at a public hospital, the amount to be charged under this Regulation is the sum of–

(a) the full amount of the charge for that one of the operations for which the highest fee is chargeable under the relevant Schedule; and

(b) 50% of the charge for that one of the operations for which the second highest fee is chargeable under that Schedule; and

(c) 25% of the amount of the fee chargeable under that Schedule for each of any remaining operations.

(2) Where the total charge under Subsection (1) does not come to a multiple of 5t the amount chargeable is the next highest multiple of 5t.

6. AFTER-CARE.

In the case of an in-patient at a public hospital, the prescribed fee for an operation referred to in Part IV of Schedule 1 or 2 includes the fee for after-care.

7. ANAESTHETICS.

No fee is payable for the administration of a local anaesthetic in connection with any dental service.

8. WAIVER OF FEES.

The Minister or a person authorized by him for the purpose may, at any time, in his discretion, waive payment of the whole or any part of an amount payable under this Regulation.

9. RECOVERY OF FEES.

An amount payable under this Regulation may be recovered by the State as a debt.

SCHEDULE 1 – ^[4]FEES UNDER SECTION 3(1).

Reg. Sec. 3(1).

SCHEDULE 2 – ^[5]FEES UNDER SECTION 3(2).

Reg. Sec. 3(2).

Office of Legislative Counsel, PNG

1. ^[1]Section 3 amended by No. 37 of 1977, s1.
2. ^[2]Section 3(2) amended by Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulation 1994 (No. 17 of 1994), s1.
3. ^[3]Section 3(2) amended by Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulation 1994 (No. 17 of 1994), s1.
4. ^[4]Schedule 1 replaced by No. 37 of 1977, s2; repealed and replaced by Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulation 1994 (No. 17 of 1994), s2.
5. ^[5]Schedule 2 replaced by No. 37 of 1977, s2; replaced by Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulation 1994 (No. 17 of 1994), s3.