Dear Department of Health,

This is a formal FOI request application.

Please provide any correspondence, including briefs, emails and other documents between the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of the Minister for Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the following PHI circulars:

- PHI 66/23 Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and Human Tissue Products) Rules (No. 2) 2023 [https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 67/23 New condition for surgical guides and biomodels listed on the Prescribed List [https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 72/23 Update on new condition for surgical guides and biomodels on the Prescribed List [https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 74/23 Prescribed List – Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and Human Tissue Products) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2023 [https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

Please do not include duplicates, or publicly available documents and transcripts.

Yours faithfully,

Bev D

FOI, Department of Health

1 Attachment

Dear Ms D,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST 4874 – NOTIFICATION OF RECEIPT AND REQUEST
FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME

 

Acknowledgement of receipt

 

I am writing to notify you that the Department of Health (department)
received your FOI request on 12 December 2023 for access to the following
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):

 

Correspondence, including briefs, emails and other documents between the
Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of the Minister for
Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged Care and the
Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the following PHI circulars:

- PHI 66/23 Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and Human Tissue
Products) Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 67/23 New condition for surgical guides and biomodels listed on the
Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 72/23 Update on new condition for surgical guides and biomodels on
the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 74/23 Prescribed List – Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices
and Human Tissue Products) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

Request for 14 day extension

 

The FOI Act requires the department to provide you with an access decision
by 11 January 2024 (30 days).

 

Many areas of the department, including the FOI Section, will be closed
from 23 December 2023 to 2 January 2024.

 

To ensure the department has sufficient time to process your request and
provide access to all relevant documents, we are seeking your agreement to
extend the period for completing your FOI request by 14 days under section
15AA of the FOI Act). If you agree to this extension, the department would
be required to provide you with an access decision by 25 January 2024.

 

If you agree to this extension, could let us know by return email to
[1][Health request email].

 

FOI processing charge

 

The department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to documents. The amount of the charge depends on how many
documents are relevant to your FOI request and the amount of work involved
in processing your request.

 

If the department decides to impose a charge for this FOI request, we will
notify you in writing and you will have an opportunity to ask for the
charge to be reduced or waived.

 

Draft and duplicate documents

 

The department considers draft and duplicate documents are generally
irrelevant to FOI requests under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Unless you advise us otherwise, the department will not process draft and
duplicate documents when processing your FOI request.

 

Departmental staff names and contact details

 

Names and other personal information about employees may also be subject
to protection under the Privacy Act 1988.

 

In addition, the department considers the names and contact details of
junior Commonwealth employee (below Senior Executive Service level) and
the mobile telephone numbers of all employees are generally irrelevant
under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Unless you advise us otherwise, those details will be excluded from any
documents provided to you in response to your FOI request.

 

Contact

 

You can contact the FOI Unit via email at [2][email address], should you
have any questions.

 

Kind regards,

 

Riley

FOI Support Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal and Assurance Division

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Bev D [3][FOI #10963 email]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 December 2023 7:46 PM
To: FOI [4][email address]
Subject: Freedom of Information request - PHI Circulars - Surgical Guides
and Biomodels

 

REMINDER: Think before you click! This email originated from outside our
organisation. Only click links or open attachments if you recognise the
sender and know the content is safe.

Dear Department of Health,

 

This is a formal FOI request application.

 

Please provide any correspondence, including briefs, emails and other
documents between the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of
the Minister for Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged
Care and the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the following PHI
circulars:

 

-              PHI 66/23 Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and
Human Tissue Products) Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

-              PHI 67/23 New condition for surgical guides and biomodels
listed on the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

-              PHI 72/23 Update on new condition for surgical guides and
biomodels on the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

-              PHI 74/23 Prescribed List – Private Health Insurance
(Medical Devices and Human Tissue Products) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

Please do not include duplicates, or publicly available documents and
transcripts.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Bev D

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[5][FOI #10963 email]

 

Is [6][Health request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Department of Health? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[7]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

 

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

[8]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

show quoted sections

FOI, Department of Health

2 Attachments

Good morning Ms D,

 

In regards to our email sent Wednesday 13 December 2023, the FOI team
would be grateful for your response regarding our extension of time
request below by close of business tomorrow, 19 December 2023.

 

Kind regards,

 

Riley

FOI Support Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal and Assurance Division

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

 

From: FOI <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 13 December 2023 9:46 AM
To: [FOI #10963 email]
Subject: Freedom Of Information Request 4874 – Notification Of Receipt And
Request For An Extension Of Time [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

Dear Ms D,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST 4874 – NOTIFICATION OF RECEIPT AND REQUEST
FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME

 

Acknowledgement of receipt

 

I am writing to notify you that the Department of Health (department)
received your FOI request on 12 December 2023 for access to the following
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):

 

Correspondence, including briefs, emails and other documents between the
Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of the Minister for
Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged Care and the
Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the following PHI circulars:

- PHI 66/23 Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and Human Tissue
Products) Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 67/23 New condition for surgical guides and biomodels listed on the
Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 72/23 Update on new condition for surgical guides and biomodels on
the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

- PHI 74/23 Prescribed List – Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices
and Human Tissue Products) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

Request for 14 day extension

 

The FOI Act requires the department to provide you with an access decision
by 11 January 2024 (30 days).

 

Many areas of the department, including the FOI Section, will be closed
from 23 December 2023 to 2 January 2024.

 

To ensure the department has sufficient time to process your request and
provide access to all relevant documents, we are seeking your agreement to
extend the period for completing your FOI request by 14 days under section
15AA of the FOI Act). If you agree to this extension, the department would
be required to provide you with an access decision by 25 January 2024.

 

If you agree to this extension, could let us know by return email to
[1][Health request email].

 

FOI processing charge

 

The department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to documents. The amount of the charge depends on how many
documents are relevant to your FOI request and the amount of work involved
in processing your request.

 

If the department decides to impose a charge for this FOI request, we will
notify you in writing and you will have an opportunity to ask for the
charge to be reduced or waived.

 

Draft and duplicate documents

 

The department considers draft and duplicate documents are generally
irrelevant to FOI requests under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Unless you advise us otherwise, the department will not process draft and
duplicate documents when processing your FOI request.

 

Departmental staff names and contact details

 

Names and other personal information about employees may also be subject
to protection under the Privacy Act 1988.

 

In addition, the department considers the names and contact details of
junior Commonwealth employee (below Senior Executive Service level) and
the mobile telephone numbers of all employees are generally irrelevant
under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Unless you advise us otherwise, those details will be excluded from any
documents provided to you in response to your FOI request.

 

Contact

 

You can contact the FOI Unit via email at [2][email address], should you
have any questions.

 

Kind regards,

 

Riley

FOI Support Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal and Assurance Division

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [3][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Bev D [4][FOI #10963 email]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 December 2023 7:46 PM
To: FOI [5][email address]
Subject: Freedom of Information request - PHI Circulars - Surgical Guides
and Biomodels

 

REMINDER: Think before you click! This email originated from outside our
organisation. Only click links or open attachments if you recognise the
sender and know the content is safe.

Dear Department of Health,

 

This is a formal FOI request application.

 

Please provide any correspondence, including briefs, emails and other
documents between the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of
the Minister for Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged
Care and the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the following PHI
circulars:

 

-              PHI 66/23 Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and
Human Tissue Products) Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

-              PHI 67/23 New condition for surgical guides and biomodels
listed on the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

-              PHI 72/23 Update on new condition for surgical guides and
biomodels on the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

-              PHI 74/23 Prescribed List – Private Health Insurance
(Medical Devices and Human Tissue Products) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

Please do not include duplicates, or publicly available documents and
transcripts.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Bev D

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #10963 email]

 

Is [7][Health request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Department of Health? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[8]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

 

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

[9]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Health request email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[FOI #10963 email]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[FOI #10963 email]
7. mailto:[Health request email]
8. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
9. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

Dear FOI,

Thank you for your email. I agree to this extension, and for a decision to be made by 25 January 2024.

However, should third party consultations need to occur, I would expect this to also be done by 25 January 2024, and not for a further extension to be sought.

Yours sincerely,

Bev D

FOI, Department of Health

1 Attachment

Dear Ms D,

 

I refer to your request below received by the Department of Health and
Aged Care (the department) for access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

Please provide any correspondence, including briefs, emails and other
documents between the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of
the Minister for Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged
Care and the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the following PHI
circulars:

 

 1. PHI 66/23 Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices and Human Tissue
Products) Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

 2. PHI 67/23 New condition for surgical guides and biomodels listed on
the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

 3. PHI 72/23 Update on new condition for surgical guides and biomodels on
the Prescribed List
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

 4. PHI 74/23 Prescribed List – Private Health Insurance (Medical Devices
and Human Tissue Products) Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2023
[https://www.health.gov.au/news/phi-circu...

 

The Department is interpreting the scope of your request as all 4 parts
are referring to surgical guides and biomodels. If you do not agree with
our interpretation, could you please provide more information that would
enable the department to identify the documents you are seeking access to.

 

We would appreciate your response by COB Wednesday 20 December 2023.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Tritiya

Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation

Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

For the 4 PHI Circulars listed above, I can confirm I am only seeking correspondence, including briefs, emails and other documents regarding surgical guides and biomodels.

Please let me know whether the scope is narrow and acceptable, or whether you require the scope to be further narrowed for FOI purposes.

Yours sincerely,

Bev D

FOI, Department of Health

3 Attachments

Dear Ms D,

 

We refer to your FOI request received on 12 December 2023.

 

Please find attached a decision on access together with the documents
referred therein.

 

If you have any queries in relation to this decision, please contact the
FOI Section on the details below.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Tritiya

Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation

Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

Thank you for providing the three documents related to this FOI request.

Can I please confirm there is no other correspondence, including emails, SMS, WhatsApp, Signal messages between the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Office of the Minister for Health and Aged Care or the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding the four circulars.

Yours sincerely,

Bev D

FOI, Department of Health

1 Attachment

Dear Ms D,

 

Thank you for your email.

 

The decision maker has made a decision that documents in the possession of
the department captured by your request were identified and an access
decision made in accordance with the FOI Act.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the decision, your review rights are in the
ATTACHMENT C of decision letter.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Tritiya

Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation

Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present

 

 

show quoted sections